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Book 



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STURM'S 



REFLECTIONS 



ON 



THE WORKS OF GOD, 



AND HIS PROVIDENCE 



THROUGHOUT ALL NATURE. 



COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME, 




PHILADELPHIA: 

PUBLISHED BY J. J. WOODWARD, 

No. 7, MINOR STREET. 



1836. 






LC Control Number 




tmp96 031683 



PREFACE. 



The continued and increasing demand for the works of Sturm has 
occasioned the present edition of his Reflections to be presented to 
the public ; before whose tribunal they have so long been, that to 
descant now upon their nature, merits, and design, would be super- 
fluous. It may, however, be briefly stated, that these reflections are 
calculated to enlarge the mind and to purify the heart : they lead the 
attentive observer through the whole creation, inform him of its stu- 
pendous works, and conduct him within the temple of the great 
God ; whilst they inculcate resignation to the divine will, humanity, 
benevolence, and the most amiable virtues which dignify and adorn 
human nature. 

Several translations of this work have already appeared ; but they 
are all either grossly inaccurate, and deficient in grammatical purity, 
or they are written in a tame, insipid style, devoid of elegance and 
destitute of interest. Let it be remembered, that something more 
than merely expressing the thought is required ; the harmony of the 
cadence, the rounding of the period, and the poising of the sentences, 
all are necessary to excite and to arrest the attention ; and unless the 
attention be stimulated and stabilitated, it will be to very little pur- 
pose that the moralist declaims, or the philosopher writes. Forypur- 
poses merely didactic, when something is to be told that was not 
known before, a style the most naked and beggarly might, perhaps, 
be endured ; because the novelty of the matter may induce us to 
overlook the poverty of the manner : not but, even in this case, the 
thought will receive additional strength and lustre from elegance and 
splendour of diction ; as a beautiful woman appears more lovely 
when arrayed with neatness and simplicity, than when cloaked to the 
heels in very rags and tatters. 



iv PREFACE. 

But against that inattention by which known truths are suffered to 
be neglected, insipid language or sterility of imagery makes no pro- 
vision ; it may, perchance, instruct, but can never persuade. Now, 
although what Sturm says is very good, and very just, yet, as he 
wishes to lead us from the error of our ways to the wisdom of the 
just, it is necessary that he use every effort to impress upon our minds 
an earnest desire to follow him in his strains of piety and heavenly 
contemplations. He has many powerful obstacles to struggle against ; 
such as, the obstinate resistance of our own perverted and corrupt 
hearts, and the allurements and example of an ignorant and embru- 
tified world, which will not listen to the voice of the charmer, charm 
he never so wisely. 

We well know that the same truth, told in two different ways, shall 
have a very different effect upon our minds : let it be doled out to us 
in a droning, drowsy tone, and in homely, vulgar language, and we 
either sleep, or turn our backs upon the speaker ; but let a man deli- 
ver this truth in appropriate diction, with impressive seriousness and 
awful solemnity, and it will penetrate to the inmost recesses of our 
heart. The same reasoning applies to writing ; which may, indeed, 
be called speaking to the eye. We slumber over the page which is 
polluted by colloquial barbarisms, and deformed by continual outrages 
against accuracy and elegance. In such a situation is the invaluable 
Sturm placed by his translators : his thoughts are clouded by unseemly 
language, and buried by a tiresome abundance of repetitions. I do 
not mean to blame them for not having been sufficiently literal in 
their versions ; because the idioms of the two languages are so dif- 
ferent, that all the spirit of the original must vanish if the copy be 
made too close. The attempting to render word for word any work 
from one language into another, is a foolish and useless undertaking; 
because it precludes the possibility of expressing the sense of the 
author. It will be readily seen, therefore, that I do not mean to give 
a literal, but a liberal translation of Sturm: his repetitions of the 
same things, and many such there are, I have avoided ; some of his 
inaccuracies ventured to correct, and have omitted some trifling pas- 
sages, which lessened the weight and dignity of the subject ; and 
every where, by an attention to style, have endeavoured to give it the 
spirit of an original work. In doing this I have been anxious to pre- 
serve the same fervent strain of piety which animated the worthy 
author ; and in presenting this work to the public in a more elegant 
dress and convenient form, I am not conscious of having at all per- 



PREFACE. v 

verted the spirit of the original, or derogated from the dignity of the 
subject. This edition, although translated by the same hand as that 
erroneously said to be by the Author of the Mviser, differs in some 
respects from that translation, which was composed very hastily, and 
came from the press with some inaccuracies. Some of the concluding 
sentences, which were omitted before, are now restored, as tending to 
promote the cause of religion and the practice of humanity ; and 
many corrections have been made. 

I cannot conclude, without sincerely congratulating the public upon 
the increase of piety, and the more general diffusion of knowledge, 
in this country. Our children are leaving the worse-than-foolish 
tales of Tom Thumb, Goody Two-shoes, Little Red Riding-hood, 
Jack the Giant Killer, and many more productions of like nature, all 
tending to vitiate their young minds, fill them with absurd notions, 
and encourage a love of the marvellous, and a dislike to plain truth ; 
for works savouring more of probability, and tending to conduct them 
through the paths of virtue to the temple of fame. The present 
work I venture to recommend to young people, with a firm confidence 
in its improving the mind and ameliorating the heart. It will be 
particularly useful to those whose reading is not very extensive, as 
containing much useful information in natural history and natural 
philosophy, conveyed in language intelligible to young children ; and 
every where abounding with devotion warm from the heart. 



1* 



CONTENTS. 



Page 
A meditation upon new-year's day ... 11 
Winter has blessings which are often disre- 
garded 12 

God continually presides over his creation 13 

Uses and advantages of fire 13 

Amusements of winter . 15 

God's providential care of the animal crea- 
tion during winter 16 

The beauties of the winter 18 

Of the vegetables which preserve their ver- 
dure through the winter 18 

Singular state of man during sleep ... 20 

Of the advantages of our climate .... 21 

Snow conduces to the earth's fertility . . 22 

Contemplation of the heavenly bodies . . 23 
Discoveries which have been made by the 

microscope 25 

Advantages of night 26 

Reflections upon self ........ 27 

The damage occasioned by extraordinary 

cold 29 

Nature reposes during the winter .... 30 

Of the Laplanders 31 

Wisdom displayed in the structure of the globe 33 
Short meditations upon the works of God, 

taken from the scriptures ...... 34 

Of the human voice 35 

Necessity of reflecting upon God . ... 37 

The fear of apparitions 38 

Subterraneous fires ........ 39 

Of comets 39 

Of snow . 40 

Rapidity with which life passes away . . 41 
Hoar-frost observed on the glass of win- 
dows 42 

On the use of bread 43 

Of our duty in respect to sleep .... 43 
Of the revolutions which are continually tak- 
ing place in nature 44 

Every thing in nature conduces to the good 

of mankind 45 

Of the influence which cold has upon health 46 
A uniformity of temperature would be dis- 
advantageous to the earth 47 

Consideration of the stars 49 

Curious formation of the eye 50 

The fog 52 

Of the tides 53 

The sun is not always apparent .... 54 

Of earthquakes 55 

Upon life and death 56 

Formation of ice 57 

Spherical figure of the earth 58 

Short duration of snow . 59 

The creation 60 



Page 

Of brutes . 61 

Of the moon . . 62 

Rain fertilizes the earth ....... 64 

Of the shortness and uncertainty of life . 65 
Principle of combustion generally diffused 

throughout nature . . . • 66 

Equal distribution of the seasons .... 67 
Utility of our senses considered .... 68 
The soul becomes elevated by reflecting 

upon God 70 

Causes of the vicissitudes of heat and cold 71 
Singularities in the mineral kingdom ... 72 
God's love for man daily manifested ... 74 

Tranquillity of the night 75 

Winter is an emblem of life 76 

The utility of mountains 77 

Powers of the mind enlarged by contemplat- 
ing God in the works of nature ... 78 

Unpleasant weather 80 

State of certain birds and animal during the 

winter 80 

Winds and tempests 81 

Aurora Borealis 83 

Power of God displayed in the minutest ob- 
jects 84 

The effects of winter gradually depart . . 85 
The external parts of the human body . . 86 

Hope of spring 88 

Hoar-frost 89 

Means which contribute to fertilize the earth 90 
Of the advantages derived from the sea . . 91 
Difference existing between animals and 

plants 92 

Uniformity and diversity in the works of na- 
ture 93 

Ofseeds 95 

Grandeur and distance of the sun ... 96 
Upon the imperfect knowledge we have of 

nature . 97 

The utility of vegetables . 99 

Structure of the human heart 100 

The change of seasons 101 

Every thing created has its use .... 102 
Harmony between the moral and physical 

world 104 

Of the nature and properties of air . . . 105 

Nothing new under the sun 106 

Of caves found in mountains 107 

Circulation of sap in trees 108 

Ignorance of futurity 109 

Gradual approach of night 110 

Magnificence of God displayed in his works 111 
Arrangement of the seasons in different pla- 
nets . . 112 

Care of providence for the preservation of 



VI11 



CONTENTS. 



Page 

his creatures experienced in every country 

of the world 113 

Hymn for the commencement of spring . .115 

Abuse of animals 116 

Motion of the earth 117 

Abundant riches of nature 119 

Sunrise 120 

Curious structure of the ear 121 

The milky-way 123 

Germination of plants 124 

The azure colour of the sky 125 

Necessity and use of air 126 

Diversity of soil 127 

Necessity of repose during the night . . . 129 

Magnitude of the earth 130 

Generation of birds 131 

Prognostic signs of the weather . . . .132 

Position of the sun 134 

The permanency of corporeal beings . . .135 

Advantages of rain 136 

Of respiration 137 

Proofs of the goodness of God derived from 

the works of nature 138 

Beneficial influence of the sun upon the 

creation 140 

Relations that all creatures have to each other 141 
Of the constituent parts of water .... 143 

Propagation of plants 144 

Diversity of traits in the human countenance 146 
The universal care of God over his creatures 147 

Flowers which bloom in April 148 

Return of the birds' 149 

The utility of forests 150 

Pleasures derived from the contemplation of 

nature 152 

The glory of God seen in the creation of 

animals 153 

Hymn on the beauties of spring . . . .154 

System of the world 155 

Blossoms of trees 156 

Of the continual revolutions and changes 

that take place in nature 157 

An invitation to seek God in the works of 

nature 158 

Morning . 159 

Vision . . . 160 

Spring renews the face of the earth . . . 161 
Germination of seeds ........ 162 

Of the chick in the egg 163 

Buds of flowers 165 

Indefatigable labours of the bee .... 166 

Nourishment of animals 167 

Senses of animals 168 

Order observed in the succession of flowers . 170 

Zoophites 171 

Pleasures derived from the cultivation of 

fields and gardens 172 

The tulip .173 

Reflections on grass '. . 174 

Sentiments excited by the contemplation 

of the heavens . 175 

Fecundity of plants 175 

Description of the beauties of spring . . . 177 

Language of animals 178 

Number and magnitude of creatures upon 

the earth 180 

Spring an emblem of the frailty of human 

life, and an image of death ..... 181 
Spring emblematical of the resurrection of 

the body 182 

Attractive power of bodies 184 



Page 
C omplaints of men against the laws of nature 185 
Of the sins to which we are most prone dur- 
ing the spring 186 

Harmony of bees ...» 188 

Prodigious number of plants upon the earth 189 

Plurality of worlds 190 

Hymn of thanksgiving 191 

Difference between the works of nature and 

of art 192 

Leaves of trees 193 

Vivifying power of the sun 195 

Desires of tho aoul unlimited ..... 196 

Utility of rivers . 198 

Diversity of flowers .199 

Use of venomous animals and plants . . . 900 

Odour of flowers . 201 

Multitude of animals 202 

Immensity of the firmament 204 

Peculiarities in the vegetable kingdom . . 205 
Means of happiness derived from nature . 207 

The magnet 208 

Cherries 210 

Wisdom displayed in the structure of the 

bodies of animals 211 

Dew 213 

Mode of life and labours of the bees . . .215 

External parts of plants 216 

Hymn of thanksgiving for the works of nature 218 

Caterpillars 219 

Beginning of summer 221 

The nightingale 222 

The pleasures which summer offers to our 

senses 223 

Sketch of the internal parts of the human 

body 224 

Electricity 227 

Manner in which thunder is formed . . . 228 

Herrings 230 

Eclipses of the sun and moon 231 

The stalk of wheat 232 

The blight . ; 233 

Foreign plants 235 

Transformation of caterpillars 236 

The silkworm 238 

The rainbow „ ... 239 

Birds' nests 240 

Diversity of pleasures in nature .... 242 

A flower-garden 244 

Phenomena of a thunder-storm .... 245 

The ants 246 

Had 248 

The utility of storms . 249 

Of the earth, and its primitive constitution . 251 

Phases of the moon 252 

Mineral waters 254 

Continual activity of nature in the vegetable 

kingdom 255 

Beauty and use of meadows 256 

Morning twilight 257 

Rural pleasures 259 

Evening twilight 259 

The ephemeron fly . 260 

Diversity of zones 261 

Peculiarities of the sea . . . . . . . 263 

Different shades observable in flowers . . 265 

Summer heat 266 

Of some remarkable properties in animals . 267 

The human countenance 269 

Gravity of bodies 270 

Many effects in nature proceed from the 

same cause 272 



CONTENTS. 



IX 



Page 

Of some diseases of plants 273 

Means of subsistence which nature provides 

for animals 274 

Meditation upon the works of nature . . 276 

Varieties of stature in men 277 

Vegetation of the stalk of wheat . . . .278 

Dog-days 279 

Sleep 280 

Divisibility of matter 281 

External structure of insects 283 

Comparison between the senses of men and 

those of animals 284 

Thunder 285 

Contemplation upon a meadow .... 287 

Mischiefs caused by animals 288 

Variety of colours 289 

Habitations of beavers 291 

Manner in which the nutrition of the human 

body is effected 292 

Nature considered in different points of view 294 
Damages which may be occasioned by rain 295 
Cares of animals for their young .... 296 

Sensibility of plants 297 

Fear of storms 299 

Summer presents us with images of death . 300 
Causes of the heat of the earth .... 301 

Diversity of plants 303 

Reflections upon the animal kingdom . . 304 

Division of the earth 305 

Of the nature and properties of light . . .307 

Structure of birds 308 

Reflections upon the sky 309 

Moral reflections upon a field of corn . . 310 

Shell-fish 311 

Upon the government of God 312 

Harvest hymn 313 

Thanksgiving for God's providential care of 

his creatures 313 

Hymn in praise of the Most High . . . 314 

The omnipresence of God 315 

The beauty and variety of butterflies . . 315 

The growth of trees 317 

The ant-lion .313 

Conformity between plants and animals . . 320 
The nature and properties of sound . . .322 

The mysteries of nature 324 

Eyes of animals 326 

Fish 327 

Of the propagation of animals 329 

Influence of the moon upon the human body 330 

The mineral kingdom 331 

Exotic plants 333 

The strength of man compared with that of 

animals 335 

Instinct of the butterfly in the propagation 

of its species 337 

The vine 338 

Hvmn to celebrate the works of the creation 340 
Wonders which God daily effects in the 

creation 340 

Digestion of food 342 

The prevalence of good in the world greater 

than that of evil 343 

Enmity between animals 344 

Moral uses of night 346 

Of man's indifference to the works of na- 
ture 347 

Of several nocturnal meteors 349 

Amphibious animals 351 

Perfection of the works of God .... 353 
Fruits 355 



Pace 

Hymn of praise imitated from the 147th 

psalm 356 

Invitation to praise God 357 

A hymn in praise of God 357 

Effects of fire . . . . 358 

The instinct and industry of birds .... 360 

Animal reproductions 361 

The organs of taste 363 

Of God"s government with regard to natural 

events 364 

The inexhaustible riches of nature . . . 365 

Petrifactions 366 

The operations of nature are gradual . .368 

Fall of leaves 369 

Different species of earths 370 

Wine . 372 

Mig-ration of birds '. . 373 

Variety of trees 375 

Temperature in different climates of the 

earth 376 

Atmosphere of the earth 378 

Proportion between births and deaths . . 379 
Ravages in the kingdom of nature . . . 381 

Circulation of the blood 383 

Proportion of various parts of the human 

body 384 

Navigation 386 

Beasts of burden 388 

Winter seed-time .' 389 

Particular providence 390 

Division of time 391 

The end of summer 393 

Magnificence of God displayed in the crea- 
tion 394 

Laws of inertia 396 

Wants of men 398 

Hymn upon the power and providence of 

God. . . . 400 

A hymn of praise 401 

Marine animals 402 

The wisdom of God in connecting the differ- 
ent parts of nature 403 

Reflections upon the summer which is 

past 405 

Inconvenience of the night 406 

Woods and forests 408 

The sense of feeling in animals 410 

Remembrance of the blessings which we en- 
joy in spring and summer 412 

Foreign animals 413 

Diversity of winds 415 

The chase 417 

Dreams 418 

Every thing in the universe is connected to- 
gether, and concurs to the preservation 

and perfection of the whole 420 

Common salt 422 

Origin of fountains 423 

Hair of the head 424 

System of the world 426 

Lobsters 426 

Advantageous situation of all the parts of the 

human body 428 

Order and regularity of nature 430 

Of winter in the northern countries . . .432 

Transformations in nature 433 

The greatness of God is perceptible in the 

least things 435 

Gradual increase of the cold 437 

Snow 438 

Sleep of animals during the winter . . .439 



CONTENTS. 



Page 

Use of storms . . 441 

Fortuitous events 442 

The majesty of God 443 

Motives for contentment 445 

Grateful remembrance of past mercies . .446 

Hymn of praise 447 

Era of the creation of the world, and of the 

human race 448 

The use of wood 449 

Remarkable properties cf certain animals . 450 

Formation of snow 452 

Winter plants 453 

Exhortation to remember the poor during 

the severity of winter 454 

Nature is a school for the heart .... 455 
The goodness of God manifested to men, 

even in those things which appear to be 

hurtful 457 

Accidental revolutions of our globe . . . 458 

Gratitude for our clothing 460 

Covering of animals 461 

Thoughts on the ravages of winter . . . 462 



Page 

Sagacity of animals in procuring sustenance 

for the winter 464 

Advantages of winter 465 

The elements 46T 

Influence of the sun upon the earth . . . 469 

Winter rains .' 470 

Supposed influence of the planets and fixed 

stars 471 

Thepolarstar 472 

Effects of air when confined in bodies . .473 

Music 475 

Men compared with other animals . . . 476 
Calculation concerning the resurrection . . 477 
Thoughts upon the nativity of Christ . 478. 
The place of our Saviour's nativity . . . 47& 
Care which God takes of men from the time 

of their birth . . .481 

Period of human life • . . 482 

The instability of earthly things .... 483 

Retrospect of our lives 484 

Hymn of thanksgiving for the close, of the 

year .. . • 485 



REFLECTIONS 

UPON 

THE WORKS OF GOD, 

AS DISPLAYED IN NATURE. 
JANUARY I. 

A MEDITATION UPON NEW-YEAR.'s DAY. 

Let us consider this day as the first of our lives, and venture to 
anticipate, from the goodness of God, a repetition of those benefits 
which we have received from our first entrance into the world, to 
the present period of our existence. What blessings may we hope 
from that Being, which has ever watched over us with the tender 
solicitude of a father ; which, at the hour of our birth, presented us 
in our parents with friends that have supplied all our wants, and 
supported us through the helpless and unprotected state of infancy 1 

Without their fostering care, how could we have preserved our 
health, and all the comforts which we now enjoy 1 Were it possible 
for us at that time to have reflected upon our destined fate, we should 
doubtless have looked forward with delight to the pleasures of our 
sublunary existence ; now that we are capable of such reflections, it 
is pleasing to indulge the sensations our present happiness inspires, 
and our imagination dwells with rapture upon the sweet hopes of 
future felicity. 

To-day a new career of life opens before us, in which, though 
more advanced to maturity, we still require a portion of that support 
we experienced, when, feeble and destitute, we first drew our breath. 
In the hour of danger, and in the time of affliction, we feel the 
necessity of a friend to support us, and of a companion to cheer our 
drooping spirits, who can smooth life's rugged path, and heighten all 
her pleasures. And surely our Heavenly Father has already chosen 
for us such a friend ; one who, when doubt and uncertainty perplex, 
will advise us how to act, and when misfortune threatens, will be 
our chief support and consolation ; who, during the full tide of 
prosperity, will partake of our joys, and who will assist our reasoning 
faculties when enfeebled and enervated. 

It was not by accident, or without design, that we came into the 
world. As a part of the great system of nature, our destiny is over- 



12 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

ruled by an all-seeing Providence, of whose designs respecting us we 
are ignorant, but who knows all, and governs all with wisdom and 
harmony ; and whatever unknown disasters impend, or unexpected 
benefits await us, this present year, let us bow down with reverence 
and with gratitude to his divine will. Whatsoever be our lot, 
whether to endure the chilling blasts of penury, or to suffer the 
heart-rending anguish of a once dear friend forgetting the ties of 
affection, let us strengthen our belief in the all-protecting arm of 
God. Though dangers may threaten, and persecution afflict, we 
w T ill yet look up to that Almighty Power which raised our feeble 
frame to its present state of hardihood, which cherished the tender 
bud from all the storms and perils that frowned upon its expansion ; 
we will believe that He, who thus protected our infancy, will not be 
less the father and the supporter of our old age. 



JANUARY II. 

WINTER HAS BLESSINGS, WHICH ARE OFTEN DISREGARDED. 

If we examine the works of God with attention, we shall find, 
even in this season, many subjects which may lead us to rejoice in 
the goodness of the Lord, and to exalt the miracles of his wisdom. 
During the budding spring, the bountiful summer, and the luxuriant 
autumn, when Nature, from the most simple, assumes her gayest 
and most splendid robes, hardened and callous, indeed, must be that 
heart which does not throb with pleasure, and pulsate with gratitude, 
for such choice gifts. But when the north wind blows, when a 
biting frost stiffens the face of the earth, when the fields, stripped of 
their fruits, and divested of all their charms, present one wild and 
desolating view, then it is that men of the greatest sensibility will 
sometimes forget to be grateful. But is it true that the earth at this 
season is so utterly destitute of the blessings of Heaven, that it pos- 
sesses nothing that can excite the emotions of gratitude and of piety 
in the heart of man ] Certainly not. Let us only bestow more 
attention upon the works of nature, and we shall never find occasion 
to arraign the wisdom of God. 

Reflect for a moment upon the misery of being exposed to the 
rigours of winter, with no clothes to defend your shivering frame, no 
fire to cheer and to animate your benumbed body ; and then rejoice 
and be grateful for the favours you receive. You have every thing 
that can contribute to your comfort. Though you cannot penetrate 
through the veil w T hich overshadows the creation, though the great 
First Cause of all things be hidden from your view, rest assured, that 
nothing is created in vain : all tends to one grand point, the glory of 
God, and the happiness of man. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 13 

JANUARY III. 

GOD CONTINUALLY PRESIDES OYER HIS CREATION. 

Not to acknowledge the greatness and wisdom of God in the least 
of his works, as well as in great and extraordinary phenomena, 
betrays alike our ignorance and our weakness. The formation and 
evolution of the child in the mother's womb displays as much the 
power of God, as did the creation of the first man from the dust of 
the earth. Our own individual experience is sufficient to convince 
us, that a Supreme Being suspends the thread of our destiny. We 
cannot ensure for ourselves another moment's existence ; a thousand 
unseen causes may hasten the period of its termination ; what un- 
known evils may not be impending to stop the vital current, and 
forbid the pure air again to renovate our blood ! 

Every man may say, Alas ! I feel my helpless state ; I have no 
power to remove the infirmities that afflict me, nor ability to disperse 
the dangers that threaten ; subject to a heavy train of bodily diseases, 
and mental imbecility, I feel that, without the support of the Almighty, 
I should indeed be miserable. The wonderful connexion between my 
soul and my body, the continual pulsation of my heart, the constant 
secretion and circulation of various fluids in my body, all depending 
neither upon my will nor my power, contribute to assure me there is 
a great and powerful Being, at whose command these functions pro- 
ceed with order and regularity, or stop, and my present existence 
ceases. If my breast still continues to heave, if the ruddy stream 
still warms my heart, if my muscles act with vigour, my senses 
remain preserved, it is from God alone I derive such choice blessings. 
Why, then, do I so seldom think, with gratitude, upon the ways of 
Providence'? 

Ought not the reflections now presented ever to be deeply graven 
on the tablets of memory ; and should it not be our morning and our 
evening care to muse upon, to admire, and to hail with gratitude, the 
blessings of our Creator? 



JANUARY IV. 

USES AND ADVANTAGES OF FIRE. 

Fire is a very universal agent, in perfecting the arts, and contri- 
buting to the comforts of life ; and we find the principles of it are 
diffused throughout nature in water as well as in air, and in all olea- 
ginous substances. How useful to man are those combustible mat- 
ters which supply him with fuel, and without a sufficiency of which 
he must suffer the greatest inconvenience, and lose incalculable ad- 
vantages. Were it not for the fire which cheers us in winter, a great 

2 



14 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

portion of our time must be passed in dreary darkness : without arti- 
ficial light all our occupations and our amusements must cease with 
the departing sun ; we should be obliged to remain at rest, or to 
wander with uncertainty and danger in midnight gloom. Consider 
how melancholy our lot must be, had we been obliged to pass the 
long evenings of winter without the enjoyments of society, and those 
superior sources of pleasures and instruction derived from reading 
and writing. How many of the productions of the earth would be 
useless to us were they not softened and prepared by means of fire ! 
If fire was not had recourse to by artists, how many necessities would 
be unprovided for, and of what benefits should we not be deprived ! 
Without this element we should not be able to give to our garments 
the brilliancy of the scarlet, nor the richness of the purple ; our me- 
tals, incapable of being melted, would remain useless in the depths of 
the earth ; glass could not be formed from the sand ; the beautiful 
utensils now in common use could not have been fashioned from the 
yielding clay ; nor could our stately edifices rear their tops among the 
clouds, and bid defiance to the elements. Without fire, in vain would 
nature teem with riches ; all her treasures would be useless, and her 
charms of no avail. 

But we have no necessity to traverse nature to prove the blessing 
of fire ! Let us return from our flight, and contemplate our own apart- 
ment. Here, the fire diffuses a genial warmth through the whole 
room, and the air is rendered mild. Without the stimulating influ- 
ence of fire, during the strong frosts, we should become inactive, and 
subject to many unpleasant sensations ; the aged and the weak would 
perish : and what would become of the little infant, if the chilly 
blasts were not tempered to its delicate limbs % Oh! unfortunate 
poor ! ye who, with scarcely bread to support your miserable exist- 
ence, are at this severe season obliged to deprive yourselves of a por- 
tion of that pittance to procure fuel to warm your shivering body ; 
how I feel for your wants ! how my heart bleeds for your distressed 
condition ! But your hard lot recalls to my mind the great favours I 
have received from Heaven, for which I am not sufficiently grateful. 
I feel the obligation I am under to a gracious God ; who, I pray, as 
he has given me the means, will open my heart to relieve those afflic- 
tions in others from which I myself am exempt. O God, my Creator 
and Benefactor, condescend still to look down upon me ! Behold, my 
heart swells with praises and thanksgivings to thee my Et rnal 
Parent, the Author of all the comforts which I now enjoy. Continue 
to grant me the benign influence of fire ; and may this element never 
become the instrument of vengeance to me or my brethren ! 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 15 

JANUARY V. 

AMUSEMENTS OF WINTER. 

During this season, which many people imagine possesses few 
charms, each individual following his inclination endeavours to find 
amusements to enliven the long winter evenings. Many pursue one 
continual round of riot and dissipation. It is indeed truiy lamenta- 
ble to see so many people, by indolence, or frivolous pursuits, contriv- 
ing to lose the days already too short. The course of the day is 
commonly filled with a circle of occupations, which neither corre- 
spond to the dignity of man, nor the destination of his soul. Late in 
the morning the voluptuary rises from his bed ; during breakfast he 
plans out the amusements of the day; then abandoning himself to 
every species of idleness, awaits the hour of dinner ; which arrived, 
he gives himself up to the pleasures of the table. Gorged with ex- 
cess, he throws himself upon a couch to recruit his exhausted powers. 
The hour comes when he is to meet a numerous party. He sits 
down to play. For the first time since the sun-beams irradiated the 
east, he appears to possess a soul : with cards in his hand the hours 
fly rapidly. At length this sensual wretch quits his cards for another 
debauch, and reels from table to bed ; but sleep does not gently over- 
power his senses, and wrap his soul in sweet forgetfulness. Pain and 
watching oppress him, or frightful dreams disturb his troubled slum- 
bers. 

How ingenious is man in devising trifling amusements to abridge 
the few moments allotted him ! Sometimes the pleasures of the chase 
call him from his home, that he may enjoy the gratification of seeing 
the timid hare, and the panting deer, fly with the speed of wind to 
escape their cruel pursuers ; or that he may have the satisfaction of 
viewing them in their last sad agonies, torn and mangled, and hear 
their piercing cries, mingled with the savage howl of dogs and men, 
reverberated from the neighbouring hills. 

The ball allures with meretricious charms ; and there innocence of 
heart is often exchanged for sorrow and disease. At one time feasts 
invite, at another diversions and public places ; all tending to mislead 
and corrupt. Having enumerated a sufficient specimen of the amuse- 
ments of winter, let me conclude by reminding my fellow-creatures 
of the part they ought to act respecting such diversions. I wish not 
to discourage and repress that inclination for social intercourse which, 
particularly at this season of the year, is highly delightful ; but I 
wish you not to suffer it to take such firm hold of your mind as to be- 
come a passion. Allowing that when you meet together nothing 
passes that can derogate from virtue and good manners, yet such par- 
ties may be hurtful by consuming too much of your time, and occa- 
sioning the neglect of your domestic economy. Pleasure is not the 
business of our lives ; the power of obtaining it is granted us by a 
beneficent God, to serve for a relaxation from the severer duties of 



16 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

business or study. To be too eager in the pursuit of pleasure is at 
the risk of never obtaining- your end, or of acquiring that which may 
ultimately produce sorrow and remorse. Be very careful, then, with, 
what society you mix ; lavish not your time in those amusements 
which you cannot enjoy without injuring your virtue, your reputa- 
tion, or the peace of your family. Let not those heedless pleasures 
that disturb your neighbours, excite their lamentations, and fill them 
with sorrow, and by which you may be lost to the duties of society 
and of religion, ever find access to your heart. Suffer not even the 
most innocent gratifications to render you insensible to the pure and 
permanent pleasures of Christianity, or to make you dissatisfied with 
your more serious occupations. 

Oh God ! govern with thy gracious influence our hearts • and 
grant that amidst earthly enjoyments we may never forget thy most 
holy name. That in our intercourse with men, the remembrance of 
thy presence may secure us from temptations, and that from day to 
day we may become more and more devoted to the exercise of our 
duties as Christians, parents, and citizens ; whilst we shun those 
fleeting pleasures which so easily allure us from the path of rectitude, 
and diminish our zeal for good works. What inducement can we 
have to seek for frivolous amusements, when we possess within our- 
selves the sources of the most pure and refined pleasures 1 The con- 
templation of the great works of nature at all times is grand, and 
fills the mind with wonder and reverence for the Creator. In winter, 
as well as in the other seasons, they shine forth equally manifest. 
The starry heavens, the fields, far as the eye can reach, covered with 
snow T , inspire the noblest and most sublime ideas, create a constant 
succession of pleasure, and elevate and dignify the soul. 



JANUARY VI. 



WINTER. 



Millions of rational beings, dispersed among the various nations of 
the earth, are provided at this season with every thing necessary to 
supply their wants, or add to their comforts. But Divine goodness is 
not extended to man alone, it is diffused over the whole creation ; 
and infinitely more numerous than the children of Adam are the ani- 
mated beings partaking of it. Admirable as is the preservation of 
the human species, God gives still greater proofs of his wisdom and 
power in the care which he manifests for the brute creation. That 
the innumerable tribes of animals existing on this globe find, during 
the continuance of summer, food and shelter, is not surprising ; all 
nature teeming with fertility conduces to this great end ; but that in 
this season of the year such numbers of creatures — birds, quadrupeds, 
reptiles, insects, and fishes — should continue to exist, must demand 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 17 

the admiration of every reflecting" being. Nature has provided most 
animals with a covering to defend them from the winter's cold, as 
well as from the summer's heat. Those wild animals which dwell 
amid the forest and the desert are so admirably organized, that their 
hair, as summer advances, begins to fall from their skin, and grows 
again in winter with such luxuriance as to become a thick fur, capa- 
ble of preserving them from the severity of the season. 

When cold renders a place of security requisite, other species of 
animals find retreats ; some under the bark of trees, others in the 
crevices of old buildings, and some within the clefts of rocks, and in 
the caverns of mountains. It is there they either live upon the food 
which instinct has taught them to provide, or they are nourished and 
supported by the fat which they had previously secreted, or they pass 
the tedious length of winter in a state of torpescent insensibility, 
each according to the habits of its tribe. Birds at the approach of 
winter retire to sheltered places ; and some species possess an instinct, 
which leads them at the commencement of cold to quit the frozen 
regions of the north, winging their bold and arduous flight for more 
genial climes. 

The resources of those animals which do not change their abode 
in winter are various. Birds feed upon the insects which they are 
taught to peck among the moss and in the clefts of the bark of trees , 
many animals live upon the provisions they have providently stored in 
their dens during the summer, others are obliged to burrow beneath 
the ice and the snow to find support. Many species of insects and 
of fishes, though confined within marshes stiff by the frost, and in 
rivers whose surfaces are frozen, yet preserve their vitality. 

Let us then unite in adoration to the all-powerful and merciful 
Creator, whose majesty and whose grandeur cover all the creatures of 
the earth ; all of which, from the stately elephant to the most feeble 
and minute animal under the heavens, owe to him their life, their 
abode, and their support. Where nature seems barren and destitute 
of resources, he still finds means to make her productive. Let these 
considerations strengthen our confidence in God, and banish from our 
minds all doubts of the continuance of his protection and support 
during the rigours of winter. 

That God who provides a covering for animals, who points out to 
them secure retreats in the caves of the mountains, will also know 
how to clothe thee, O man ! And he who supplies them with food 
and with warmth, even beneath the ice and the snow, will ever be 
thy support, and thou wilt find a sure harbour, where thy days may 
glide in peace and in tranquillity, safe from storms and commotions. 
Let such reflections as these raise in thy bosom a desire to imitate, as 
far as thy abilities permit, the generous cares of Divine Providence, 
by contributing to the preservation and happiness of thy fellow-crea- 
tures, and of the whole animal creation. 



2* 



18 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

JANUARY VII. 

THE BEAUTIES OF THE WINTER. 

Every season has its peculiar pleasures and beauties ; and however 
destitute of charms winter may appear to some people, it has still a 
portion to interest the feelings. For the benefit of those who, from 
prejudice and ignorance, murmur and repine against this season, 
I will here enumerate some of the particular pleasures which it 
offers us. 

How delightful is the face of nature when the morning light first 
dawns upon a country embosomed in snow ? The thick mist which 
obscured the earth, and concealed every object from our view, at once 
vanishes. How beautiful are the tops of the trees, hoary with frost? 
The hills and the valleys, reflecting the sun-beams, assume various 
tints : all nature is animated by the genial influence of the bright 
luminary, which now invites the warbling songsters from the groves 
to make jocund the day with their harmonious notes. If nature, 
during the absence of the sun, droops and is overspread with gloom, 
when the horizon is again illumined with cheering rays she resumes 
her wonted gaiety, and, robed in white, delights the traveller with 
her novel and delicate appearance. How beautiful to see the white 
hills, the forests, and the groves all sparkling ! What a delightful 
combination these objects present ! Observe the brilliancy of those 
hedges ! See the lofty trees bending beneath their dazzling burden ! 
The surface of the earth appears one vast plain mantled in white and 
splendid array. 

Little, indeed, are the feelings of those to be envied upon whom 
these grand phenomena make no impression ; beings who can con- 
template with indifference a spectacle which ought to gladden their 
hearts and fill their souls with the majesty of Heaven, and the bound- 
less wisdom, and immeasurable goodness of an all-powerful God. 
Such reflections, arising from the contemplation of his works, always 
produce satisfaction and delight. The heavens may lower, the agi- 
tation of the air portend a storm, and nature, losing her sweetest 
attractions, appear bleak, wild, and desolate ; j^et the soul, retiring 
within itself, derives energy and an exalted pleasure in tracing, 
by his works, the power, the wisdom, and the benignity of the God 
head. 



JANUARY VIII. 

OF THE VEGETABLES WHICH PRESERVE THEIR VERDURE THROUGH 

THE WINTER. 

At this season of the year the earth, losing the variety of charms 
which so lately beautified her surface, seems solitary and destitute ; 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 19 

and may be compared to a tender mother, who has been bereft of her 
dearest children, and is seen to mourn and lament. ' But she is not 
deprived of all her offspring ; here and there plants are seen to brave 
the rigours of winter, and by their verdure relieve the sterility of the 
scene. Here the hawthorn's tempting berries offer the feathered 
race a sweet repast ; the ever-verdant laurustinus now delights with 
its clustering flowers ; and the never-fading yew-tree forms a dark 
shade. The creeping ivy still winds around the mouldering battle- 
ments, and defies the whistling wind and the storm's loud roar ; the 
laurel blooms with verdure undiminished ; and the lowly box looks 
green above the snow. These, with many other plants, preserve 
their verdant hue amid every severity of season and rigour of cli- 
mate. They may present a pleasing emblem of the ever-durable 
advantages he possesses, whose mind is amply stored, and whose 
amiable disposition makes all around him smile with joy and plea- 
sure. The splendour of dress, and the profusions of ornaments, 
which dazzle and fascinate the weak and the vulgar, are vain and 
transitory ; colours, that vie with the rainbow in brilliancy, fade ; the 
pride of youth, beauty smiling with every grace and symmetry of 
form, flutter awhile amid the sun-beams, and are seen no more ; but 
the eharms of virtue last for ever. The man who fears God, ' resem- 
bles a tree, which, planted on the banks of a rivulet, as it. grows to 
maturity expands, and stretches forth its branches far round with un- 
fading verdure, and produces its fruits in season ; it offers an ever- 
refreshing shade, and the weary traveller blesses it.' 

How amiable is the truly pious man ! His ornaments are within, 
and his virtue shines forth with beauty unborrowed of the external 
and adventitious smiles of fortune. The storms of adversity may 
shake, but can never overpower him ; though for a moment cast 
down, his bold front soon towers above the tempest. If misfortune 
darkens his horizon, and poverty frowns, he is still blessed with riches 
that wealth cannot purchase — the love of God, a good conscience, 
and the bright hope of a glorious immortality. 

This reflection leads me to the idea of a benevolent old man, who 
in the winter of his life resembles those plants which at that season 
still preserve their verdure. How many storms of fortune has he not 
braved with constancy ! How many dear attracting objects have 
withered in his sight ! He yet exists, whilst many of his contempora- 
ries are mingled with the silent dust. A mild cheerfulness still plays 
on his cheeks. Though his forehead be wrinkled, and the strong 
hand of time mark his venerable countenance, and render feeble his 
frame, his virtues recompense his lost vigour, he lives again in his 
offspring, and his wisdom, his integrity, and his experience, are held 
up as a noble example to his children's children. 



20 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

JANUARY IX. 

SINGULAR STATE OF MAN DURING THE TIME OF SLEEP. 

We need not have recourse to extraordinary events to be convinced 
of the inconceivable power and wisdom of God ; we have only to 
look around us. He shines conspicuously in the least of his works. 
Of the many remarkable things of which he is the author, I wish to 
call your attention to one, which, because it daily occurs, is not the 
less deserving of your observation. Often as you have been refreshed 
by sleep, perhaps you have never reflected upon this singular state, 
nor regarded it as one of the most extraordinary effects of Divine 
goodness. When sleep overpowers us with a pleasing forgetfulness, 
we do not think it wonderful ; we believe our body is formed for such 
a state, and that the inclination, prompting us to indulge in sleep, 
proceeds from natural causes. But perhaps we may with propriety 
consider sleep under two points of view. On the one hand, there is 
nothing to be observed which may not result from the peculiar nature 
of our organization ; on the other, there is something so striking and 
wonderful in this natural effect, that any labour bestowed upon the 
consideration of it will be amply compensated. 

Sleep comes upon us imperceptibly ; if we endeavour to ascertain 
the exact moment, the attention we give will be an obstacle to its 
approach ; nor shall we be able to sleep till all such ideas are dissi- 
pated. Sleep comes unsolicited ; the more efforts we make to obtain 
it, the less likely are we to succeed. God has so appointed sleep, that 
it becomes an agreeable necessity ; and he has rendered it independ- 
ent of our reason and of our will. Let us pursue this consideration, 
and muse upon the wonderful state we are in during sleep. We live 
without being conscious of our existence. The functions all act with 
their wonted regularity. The activity of the soul, for a space, seems 
to be suspended ; the senses are benumbed, the muscles inactive, and 
all voluntary motion ceases. In short, the state of sleep is truly 
wonderful, and very much resembles that of death : who can think 
of sleep without being at the same time reminded of death ; which, 
sooner or later, will imperceptibly steal upon us, or seize us without 
warning, unwished for and unexpected 1 

The senses, whose functions are suspended during sleep, are equally 
incapable of action at the near approach of death. The ideas also 
are clouded ; we notice not surrounding objects, and a dark oblivion 
veils our faculties. Let devotion often present this meditation to our 
minds. Whenever we seek for repose upon the downy pillow, let us 
reflect upon the blessings of sleep, and look up with gratitude to Him, 
who during our seclusion from toil and labour, watches over our 
slumbers, and preserves from dangers our helpless condition. For, it 
a protecting hand did not shield us, to how many perils might we not 
be subjected during the night-season ! 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS 21 

JANUARY X. 

OF THE ADVANTAGES OP OUR CLIMATE. 

Have we a proper sense of the great happiness which we enjoy in 
so many respects ] The blessings of our Heavenly Father are every 
where poured out upon us. The view of ample forests, of the rising 
hills, and the extended meadows ; the pure and temperate breezes we 
inhale, the seasons, with their accompanying variations, and different 
attractions, all denote the unspeakable beneficence of God, and his 
wish for the happiness of man. How then can we ever complain of 
the hardness of our condition, accuse the Almighty of a partial distri- 
bution of his favours, or murmur because the summer declines, and 
the rays of the sun do not for ever beam upon our soil, nor an equal 
degree of warmth cheer the inhabitants of our zone 1 What ingrati- 
tude, and what ignorance ! We know not what we desire, nor of what 
we complain. Seeing that God has peculiarly favoured our climate, 
is it through pride or inadvertency that we acknowledge not his good- 
ness 1 We often repine at the rigours of winter, and envy those who 
know no vicissitude of season ; but let us remember, that what we 
most dread, the keen air of winter, perhaps, renders our climate the 
most salubrious of any on the globe. Observe the languid, exhausted 
frame of the inhabitants beneath a cloudless sun, the diseases that 
prey upon them, and the indolence which they are of necessity obliged 
to endure. When even the cold in our climate is felt most severely, 
we may comfort ourselves that this, compared with the cold of more 
northerly countries, is no more than the temperature of autumn. How 
different is our lot from that of the shivering natives near the north 
pole ! Here, even in winter, the friendly rays of the sun enliven 
the days, and incite universal gaiety. There, the day, dreary as the 
night, receives no light from the sun. Here, in perfect security, 
whether reposing in our beds, or indulging over the blazing hearth, 
we defy the rigours of the season ; the charms of society soften its 
asperities, and the constant succession of day and night cheers and 
revives ; but in those frozen regions, the miserable huts form a poor 
shelter from the pitiless pelting of the storm, and the wild savages of 
the woods and the deserts keep the starved inhabitants in a state of 
constant alarm and danger, by the loudness of their roar, and the fre- 
quency of their wild horrific cry ; and with them a perpetual winter 
reigns. Whilst we, after a few stormy months, are visited by a season 
whose charms console us for all that we have suffered, and amid the 
joy and harmony inspired by a vernal sun, we forget the name of win- 
ter. Let us, then, bless the beneficent hand which has assigned us so 
happy an inheritance ; let us glorify God, who has regulated our 
present allotment with so much wisdom and goodness ; and let us 
joyfully render thanks unto Him who has fixed our abode in a climate, 
where, in each succeeding season, his bounty is displayed with 
magnificence, and diffused with abundance, throughout the creation. 



22 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

JANUARY XI. 

SNOW CONDUCES TO THE EARTH'S FERTILITY. 

Regarding appearances only, we might be induced to say, that 
snow, so far from being useful to the earth, was by its cold and mois- 
ture of detriment to trees and plants. But the experience of centuries 
teaches us, that to preserve grain, plants, and vegetables, from the 
effects of cold, nature can give no better protection than by shielding 
them with snow, which, though seemingly cold, yet shelters the 
earth's surface from freezing winds, and preserves a due degree of 
heat for the preservation of seeds. 

Thus God provides what is necessary for the support and nutriment 
of the works of his creation. Nature is always active, even when she 
appears in a state of perfect quiescence, and renders us real services at 
the time she appears most to deny them. Observe the providence of 
God exerted for our good in the roughest season, and preparing, with- 
out any assistance on our part, all the treasures of nature. With 
such proofs of Divine protection, who can doubt or mistrust 1 The 
wonders that God performs in nature every winter, he also daily effects 
for the preservation of mankind. What at first often appears useless 
or prejudicial, ultimately contributes to our felicity ; and often when 
we imagine that God has ceased to interest himself in our welfare, he 
is, perhaps, completing a part of his glorious scheme, impenetrable to 
our view, but which unfolding, may be the means of delivering us 
from some impending calamity, or procure us some benefit beyond the 
flight of hope to aspire after. Snow, however, is not merely destined 
as a covering to the earth, it tends also to assist its fertility, by pene- 
trating beneath the surface, and supplying a proper degree of moisture. 

6 As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and return- 
eth not thither again, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring 
forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the 
eater ; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth ; it 
shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I 
please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.' — Isaiah 
lv. 10, 11. 

We live in an age in which this prediction, through the mouth of the 
prophet, is accomplished in a remarkable manner. Whole provinces 
and kingdoms, which formerly, shrouded in the gloom of ignorance, 
of superstition, and of credulity, were oppressed by slavery, and de- 
luded by the dreams of idolatry, in this glorious day of gospel dispen- 
sation, cheered by the blessed light from heaven, have emerged from 
darkness and obscurity, have aroused their slumbering faculties, and 
have embraced the great truths of Christianity. Over how many 
obdurate hearts has it triumphed ! How many good works, how many 
blessed fruits of piety, has it brought to maturity ! May the Divine 
grace be so poured into our hearts, that we may ever feel its quick 
ening, saving influence ! 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 23 

JANUARY XII. 

CONTEMPLATION OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES. 

The heavens present to our view, in the night season, a scene of 
grandeur and sublimity, which forcibly impresses the attentive obser- 
ver of nature. But how few are capable of receiving the great and 
noble ideas which the contemplation of the firmament calls forth in a 
philosophic mind ! How few even observe it at all ! This, I imagine, 
can only proceed from ignorance ; for it is impossible to take an 
extensive range through nature, and view the majestic objects every 
where presented, without at once being led through nature up to 
nature's God, and feeling the power of the mind expand in our vast 
flight through the regions of space, till we are lost in admiration and 
rapture, and feel a celestial radiance illume our souls. Oh that every 
human being would partake of this Divine pleasure ! that they would 
elevate their thoughts beyond the confines of earth, and ranging 
above the spheres, repose on heaven ! It is enough merely to name 
those immense bodies, each in itself a world revolving in space, to fill 
the mind with awe and astonishment at the mighty power of the 
Creator. 

In the centre of the plauetary system, the Sun, more than a million 
times larger than our earth, and at the distance of 82 millions of 
miles, rolls his majestic orb, round which revolve seven planets with 
their attendant satellites, all deriving their lustre from the central 
luminary. These planets are known to the astronomers by the names 
of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, the Earth, Mercury, and Herschel.* 
Of these, the nearest to the sun is Mercury ; it is much smaller than 
the earth, its diameter being only 2600 miles, and from its proximity 
to the sun, round which it performs its course in eighty-eight days, 
rolling at the rate of 95,000 miles an hour, is seldom visible to our 
eye : the light and heat it derives from the sun are nearly seven times 
as great as ours, being distant from that luminary only 32 millions of 
miles. Next comes Venus, completing her revolution round the sun 
in about seven months, at the computed distance of 59 millions 
of miles; she is larger than our earth, and shines when west of the 
sun as a morning star, and when east as an evening star, with 
astonishing splendour, moving hourly in her orbit 69,000 miles. 
The third circle is the orbit of the Earth, revolving round the sun at 
the rate of 51,000 miles an hour, which though little more than half 
as swift as the motion of Mercury in his orbit, is one hundred and 
twenty times swifter than that of a cannon-ball. The Earth's diame- 
ter is 7970 miles, and the moon rolls round it as an attendant satellite, 
performing her course in 29 days, 12 hours, and 44 minutes. The 
moon's diameter is 2180 miles, and her distance from the Earth's 
centre, 240,000. The planet next in order is Mars, about 125 millions 

* Discovered first at Bath, March 17, 1781, by the philosopher whose name it-bears. 



24 STURM'S REFLECTIONS, 

of miles distant from the sun, and travelling round him in 686 days 
and 23 hours, at the rate of 47 millions of miles every hour. The 
diataeter of Mars is 4444 miles, his quantity of light and heat equal 
but to half of ours, and the sun appears to him but half as large as to 
us. The fifth and the largest of all the planets, is Jupiter, distant 
from the sun 426 millions of miles, and going every hour in his orbit 
25,000 miles. He finishes his annual period in 11 of our years, 314 
days, and 12 hours. He is above one thousand times larger than our 
earth, and is surrounded by faint substances called belts ; they vary 
considerably in appearance, and sometimes disappear altogether ; 
hence they have been supposed to be clouds. Four moons revolve 
round the planet Jupiter, so that scarcely any part of his immense orb 
remains unenlightened, except the poles, whence only the farthest 
moons can be seen ; but light is there least required, because the sun 
constantly circulates in or near the horizon, and may be kept in view 
of both poles by the refraction of Jupiter's atmosphere. Saturn is 
about 780 millions of miles distant from the sun, and travelling at the 
rate of 18,000 miles every hour, performs his annual circuit in 29 
years, 167 days, and five hours of our time. He is nearly six hun- 
dred times larger than our earth, his diameter being 67,000 miles : 
and he is surrounded by a broad ring, round the outer circumference of 
which revolves five attendant moons.* The sun shines on one side of 
Saturn's ring for nearly fifteen years without setting, and as long on 
the other in its turn. The last known planet in our system is 
Herschel, distant from the sun about 1565 millions of miles, and 
performing his annual circuit in 83 years, 140 days, and 8 hours of 
our time, at the rate of 7000 miles an hour. His diameter being 
34,000 miles, he is about eighty times larger than our earth. Dr. 
Herschel has discovered six attendant moons, and supposes there may 
be more. 

Such is the stupendous grandeur of the planetary system; yet the 
sun, with all his accompanying planets, forms but a very small part 
of the universe. Each star, which to us appears scarcely larger or 
more brilliant than the diamond, equals the sun in magnitude and in 
splendour, and is in itself a world, and the centre of a planetary system. 
That they shine with their own and not a borrowed light is demon- 
strable by their immense distance from the sun, which renders it 
impossible for them to be illumined by his rays : a cannon-ball shot 
off from the sun would not reach the nearest fixed star in 600,000 
years ; hence each may be considered as a sun : and he who imagines 
that such glorious luminaries were formed to shine with an ineffec- 
tual light, can have but a very contracted idea of the Almighty power 
and wisdom. The number of stars in either hemisphere visible to the 
naked eye is not more than a thousand ; with the assistance of a good 
telescope three thousand may be perceived, and, could better instru- 
ments be procured, there is every probability of thousands more existing ; 

* Dr. Herschel has discovered two other moons belonging to Saturn, so that there are 
now seven moons attendant on that planet. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 25 

nay, some very profound philosophers have supposed there are stars at 
such inconceivable distances, that their light has not yet reached the 
earth since its creation, although the velocity, with which light 
passes, is a million times greater than that of a cannon-ball. Thus, 
though a man may measure the universe with his telescope, he can 
form only a very inadequate idea of its amazing extent. 

What a noble, what an august subject for meditation ! Though the 
mind of man cannot yet bear to soar with the steady flight of the 
eagle through the boundless regions of space ; though he cannot yet 
grasp within his span the sublime view of orb encircling orb, each in 
itself a luminary, multiplied without end, attended by millions of 
worlds, all revolving in matchless order, and harmonious regularity, 
each in his silent course, with varied motion ; some whirling with a 
rapidity our senses cannot conceive, others less distant performing 
their circles with less velocity ; and all these worlds containing 
myriads of intelligent beings in different states of felicity and per- 
fectibility. 

If then the utmost stretch of the human faculties, the utmost 
vigour of our reason, cannot comprehend the totality of these works, 
nor our imagination expand even beyond our own system, how can 
we pretend to scan that Almighty Being, at whose word order arose 
out of confusion, chaos was converted into elements, and the starry 
spheres began to move through the heavens.* 



JANUARY XIII. 

DISCOVERIES WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE MICROSCOPE. 

The wonders of nature are displayed in the minutest as well as in 
the largest objects ; whether we consider the structure of the mite, or 
that of the towering elephant, we shall find her alike excellent : she 
has formed them both with the same degree of propriety of construc- 
tion. It is our senses which are not sufficiently acute to perceive the 
organization of very small bodies, which often escape our observation, 
unless we have recourse to foreign assistance. The microscope has 
opened to us a new world of insects and vegetables ; it has shown us, 
that objects, invisible to the naked eye, exist, having figure, extension, 
and different parts : some examples of which we shall produce, that 
we may have more causes to admire and praise the wisdom of God. 
Every grain of sand, when examined by the naked eye appears round, 
but with the help of a glass we observe each grain differs from the 
other, both in size and in figure : some of them are perfectly round, 
others square, some conical, and the major part of an irregular form, 

* As the above account diners from the original more than even a liberal translation 
will authorize, it is right to state, that considerable errors were found, and had been con- 
tinued by the preceding translators ; to correct which in the present edition, the works 
of Newton, of Ferguson, and of Euler, have been consulted. — E. 

3 D 



26 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

What is still more astonishing, by microscopes, which magnify 
objects millions of times more than their natural size, we can discover, 
in the grains of sand, a new animal world ; for within their cavities 
dwell various insects. In cheese are found innumerable animalculse, 
called mites, which to the naked eye appear as points, whilst, seen 
through a microscope, they are found to be insects of a very singular 
form and structure ; they have not only a mouth, eyes, and feet, but 
their transparent body is covered with long hairs, sharp, and formed 
like needles.* In the vegetable kingdom we are presented with a 
thick forest of trees and plants, bearing leaves, branches, flowers, and 
fruits ; the rudiments of all which beautiful objects were once hidden 
beneath the mould : little as we should have expected to find these 
in such a bed, as little should we have supposed the dust upon the 
wings of a butterfly to be minute feathers, or the bloom of a peach to 
be a collection of insects, had not the microscope furnished us with 
this intelligence. 

Thus we see the power of God is great in those things which igno- 
rance makes us regard as minute ; for however small the minutest 
animalcule appears to us, we have reason to believe there are objects 
which appear to it as small as it does to us. By the view which we 
have just been taking, we shall also find the subjects of nature to be 
much more numerous than we had imagined. Though we are ac- 
quainted with many thousand species of plants and insects, how many 
more are there yet hidden from our researches ! If we could explore, 
the vast abyss of the sea, or search the bottom of rivers, penetrate 
within the numerous forests, at present the haunt of savages and 
reptiles, what additions should we not make to our present limited 
collection, and find new causes to admire the wonderful works of 
God! 



JANUARY XIV. 

ADVANTAGES OF NIGHT. 

When the sun hath withdrawn his friendly light from us, and dark- 
ness has obscured the face of nature, we are doubtless deprived of 
some pleasures. Nevertheless, we have no cause to complain of this 
arrangement. As the mixture of pleasure and pain, the alternation 
of good and evil, are wisely ordered ; so also we must acknowledge 
the wisdom and goodness of God in the remarkable variation which 
is observed in our climate : and we must allow that the seeming in- 

* The view of a frog through a solar microscope is strikingly beautiful ; from the 
transparency of its skin, the blood is seen to circulate in the vessels in a manner inde- 
scribably wonderful and brilliant. The physiologist is likewise indebted to the micro- 
scope for his more intimate knowledge of the red particles of the blood ; but, owing to a 
difference of glasses, or some imperfection in the optic nerve, there is yet a dispute 
whether they are perfectly globular, or circular as to circumference with a plane superfi- 
cies, in the manner of a flat shilling. — E. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 27 

conveniences of the winter nights are compensated by a thousand 
advantages. Without an occasional privation of sunshine, should 
we be so well convinced of its great comfort and utility ? 

Let each returning night recall to our minds the goodness of God, 
who, for the benefit of mankind, has diffused light and beauty over 
the face of the earth ; let us reflect upon our miserable condition, if 
each succeeding morn did not ensure the continuance of light. Is not 
darkness itself, at certain intervals, pleasing, by inviting us to repose 
and tranquillity under the sweet influence of sleep ? How many 
labourers consume their days and exhaust their strength in toiling 
for our services, whose work is often attended with disagreeable and 
painful sensations ; to these night is welcome, and they hail the ap- 
proaching evening with joy, when, free from the unrelenting frowns 
of a hard master, or the cries of their feeble and helpless children, 
they may sink down to rest, and enjoy a sweet oblivion of their cares. 

When night has spread her sable mantle over the earth, all the 
little bubbles which so agitated man during the day cease to disturb 
him ; all his emotions of envy, of jealousy, of pride, and of malig- 
nity, yield to the drowsy influence ; all his sorrows, his doubts, and 
his perplexities, for a time, are suspended ; stretched on his couch, he 
only wishes for sleep ; his eyelids once safely sealed, the monarch, 
encanopied with purple, is no more than the beggar nestling in his 
straw. 

What then do we not owe to the Supreme Being who thus has 
provided for the good of his creatures ; who has appointed a time 
when the weary shall rest, and the oppressed shall be relieved ; when 
millions of human beings, condemned by necessity to drag on a 
wretched existence, employed in hard tasks and painful toils, or who 
groan beneath the yoke of slavery, have their allotted hour of ease 
and freedom ; in which their cares and their sorrows may sink into soft 
repose ; when the weary traveller shall lie down, and the exhausted 
peasant gain new vigour and recruited force ; and when the philo- 
sopher shall be obliged to cease from the intense thinking which 
would destroy his powers, that he may rise and pursue his investiga- 
tions with redoubled energy ] 



JANUARY XV. 

REFLECTIONS UPON SELF. 

It is reasonable that every man should sometimes withdraw his 
attention from foreign objects, and fix it upon himself. By continu- 
ally thinking of the things which surround us, we are apt to lose 
sight of ourselves, and forget the gratitude which the contemplation 
of the starry heavens, and the enjoyment of the blessings showered 
down upon the earth, ought to excite in our bosoms. To be con- 
vinced that man is as excellent an example of the perfection -f God's 



28 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

divine power and wisdom, as are those objects which by their gran- 
deur astonish the faculties, I wish that every individual would deeply 
reflect upon all that most intimately concerns his structure. How 
admirable is the union of the body and the soul ! How incomprehen- 
sible their action ? We daily experience that when the rays of light, 
reflected from external objects, strike upon the retina, the mind re- 
ceives an idea of the size, figure, and colour of such objects. We 
find certain vibratory undulations of the atmospherical air convey to 
the mind, through the medium of the ear, an idea of sound. By this 
power of perception we obtain the knowledge of all the changes 
which occur in surrounding bodies, as well as an acquaintance with 
the thoughts of other men. We find whenever a desire for motion 
from place to place arises in our minds, the body obeys the impulse ; 
and whether the trunk, the head, or the limbs, are required to move, 
obedience follows the will. These are facts well known and daily 
experienced, but it is beyond the power of man to explain them. 

In this reciprocal influence of the soul upon the body, and the body 
upon the soul, there is a wisdom displayed which we cannot search 
into, and the result of our profoundest investigations into this exqui- 
site union of body and soul must be admiration and astonishment. 

If we consider the body separately, we find it every where displays 
the power of the creating Hand ; each limb is ordered in the most 
convenient manner for utility as well as beauty ; no change that man 
can devise will be of benefit to him, so admirably is the human frame 
organized — so wisely is it constituted. Its internal arrangement is 
still more wonderful. The body has different ends to answer, differ- 
ent functions to perform ; it is the medium through which the soul 
receives cognizance of external objects. For this great purpose we 
find it furnished with the organs of sight, of hearing, of taste, of 
feeling, and of smell, each in itself worthy the highest admiration. 
But to enable the body to transmit to the soul the sensations of exter- 
nal objects, it is necessary motion should be readily performed, for 
which purpose we find various parts provided by nature : the bones, 
muscles, joints, ligaments, and cellular substance, all exquisitely 
arranged, give the power of moving in every direction : but a machine 
like this, in frequent motion, must be liable to a continual waste ; to 
supply which loss, and keep it in proper order; it will be necessary to 
receive aliment, to comminute it, to separate its nutritious juices, to 
circulate them through the whole machine with such proportion and 
regularity that each part may receive the quantity necessary for its 
due support ; for all which purposes suitable functions are provided. 

We have reason then to praise the Lord, who has thus wonderfully 
formed us, all of whose works are so admirable. To thee, O God ! 
be rendered all adoration and thanksgiving. Let us celebrate thy 
praise with the sound of the harp, and with the song of joy and of 
gladness. We are the prodigies of thy power ; all our faculties and 
our senses display thy Divine wisdom. May we ever be permitted to 
glorify and exalt thy holy name ; and may we, when time here shall 
be to us no more, rejoice in thy goodness, through a blessed eternity ! 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 29 

JANUARY XVI. 

THE DAMAGE OCCASIONED BY EXTRAORDINARY COLD. 

Why do we so readily notice those effects of nature which seem to 
be injurious ? Why do we so willingly dwell upon and even murmur 
at them, whilst we slightly pass over all the striking advantages 
which they procure us 1 Men in such cases act towards God as they 
are accustomed to do with their fellow-creatures. A trifling offence, 
a slight injury they may have received from their best friend or bene- 
factor, often effaces from their memory the essential benefits they have 
received ; their pride and their ingratitude cause them to overlook 
the benefits, while they magnify the injury. At this season of the 
year we have a memorable instance of their disposition : men seem 
only to regard the evil which may result from the cold, and never 
consider the good it may produce. If they discover the least injury, 
if some part of the great whole suffer, they think themselves author- 
ised to murmur against G-od, without at all considering that nature, 
taken as a whole, deduces great advantages from the cold. If we 
weigh with impartiality the advantages and the evils which may be 
attributed to it, the result will convince us how little cause we have to 
arraign the government of the Almighty. 

It is true, a severe season causes many inconveniences, and induces 
some distressing consequences. Sometimes the water is frozen to 
such a depth that it is not possible to obtain a supply of this necessary 
article ; the fish die in the ponds ; rivers swelling above their banks, 
their torrents increased by the melting snow, and containing vast 
masses of floating ice, burst their boundaries and devastate the 
neighbouring country. The working of water-mills is stopped ; ve- 
getables suffer ; wood and fuel entirely fail, or become excessively 
enhanced in price ; grain, potatoes, &c. if not well covered, are 
spoiled, and plants and trees die. Many animals perish from cold 
and hunger, and the health and safety of man are often endangered. 

These are some of the most striking evils which the rigour of a 
severe season may produce ; but how many winters do we not pass 
without witnessing such a degree of extreme severity ! Admitting, 
however, that these disastrous effects oftener occurred, what right 
have we to complain, when the advantages much more than com- 
pensate for any evils we may endure ] Knowing so little of the great 
chain of causes which links together this world, how are we poor 
finite beings to pronounce and decide upon what is best for nature, or 
upon what is most prejudicial to her % Let us not then expose our 
ignorance and absurdity, by blaming or condemning the laws of na- 
ture, because we see but a very minute part, and are totally incapable 
of grasping the whole. Let us rather acknowledge our incapacity, 
and acquire a confidence in the ways of Providence which shall induce 
us to believe and to feel assured, that He who has created the heavens 

and the earth has likewise ordained a portion of happiness and of 
3* 



30 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

good sufficient for our present condition, and far exceeding all the accu- 
mulated evils we can possibly endure. With this reliance upon the 
Rock of ages, we shall remain firm and unmoved, amid the warring 
of elements and the general wreck of nature ; whilst we ascribe praise, 
honour, and thanksgiving, to our wise and beneficent Creator. 



JANUARY XVII. 

NATURE REPOSES DURING THE WINTER. 

The days of winter are the days of nature's rest. In the preceding 
months she has been exhausted with incessant labour for the good of 
man. HoW rich has the spring been in flowers ; how the seeds have 
expanded and the foliage sprouted ! What abundance of fruits the 
summer prepares for the autumn's maturing hand ! Every month, 
every day, we receive some fresh gift from nature. As the tender 
mother provides for her young with anxious care, so nature is busied 
from morning to evening in supplying our wants, and in procuring us 
a succession of comforts and blessings to make life's fleeting moments 
smile with joy and with delight. Food, raiment, and the chief 
sources of our pleasures, are all derived from her fostering bosom. 
For us she makes the seeds to open and expand, the herbs to bud, the 
trees to look gay with foliage, beautiful with blossoms, and to pour 
forth their riches in fruit of every kind that can please the eye or 
gratify the taste. For us, the golden grain waves over the fields, the 
vine offers her varied treasures, and the whole creation is clothed in 
verdure, and presents to the delighted observer an infinitely varied 
and beautiful field of attractions. Wearied by so many labours, na- 
ture, for a space, reposes, in order to acquire new force, that she may 
again be equally fruitful, and again be enabled to assume her wonted 
resplendency. 

Here also, O beneficent Creator ! I adore thy wisdom. The repose 
of nature in winter is not less interesting to us, nor less worthy of 
entering into the plan of thy Divine Providence, than her utmost 
activity in spring and summer. Thou hast prepared the different 
revolutions of the earth; thou hast established the most intimate 
relation between them ; and with an impartial hand hast distributed 
labour and rest. It is Thou who hast willed that each sun should 
vary the seasons of nature, in such times and ways as are most fit 
for the perfection of the whole. If I have ever been foolish enough 
to blame any thing in the government of the world, O God ! pardon 
my temerity. I now see, and am fully persuaded, that all the arrange- 
ments of thy Providence, however extraordinary they may appear to 
my feeble intellects, are full of wisdom and goodness. Now, that I 
see the earth mantled with a deep snow, I think of the good which 
will result from it, and bless the wisdom of God ; for I now know that 
unless nature, at certain intervals, enjoyed a state of rest, we should 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 31 

no longer see the flowers and the fruits which so beautify the creation 
and increase the comforts of life ; no more would the joyful harvest- 
home gladden the swain, nor the fields exchange their dusky hue for 
the sprightly green. 

There is a time also when the labours, the cares, and the vexations 
of man shall cease, when his sorrows shall be no more. In the 
spring and summer of life, the greatest activity and exertions are ne- 
cessary to secure a comfortable existence for ourselves, and to contri- 
bute all in our power to the good of our fellow-creatures. The au- 
tumn will soon arrive ; and may we resemble the luxuriant trees 
which shed into our lap their ripe and mature fruits ! may we be 
enabled from our own fulness to give to others a portion of our trea- 
sures, and make the rich stores of our minds flow into those who have 
not equal opportunities of acquiring knowledge ! so that in the win- 
ter of our age, when the measure of our days shall be filled, and our 
head silvered over with time, it may be said, as we pass along, See 
that venerable man, who has devoted his youth to the benefit of 
mankind, whose days have been passed in the continued exertion of 
his faculties, and in the constant pursuit of active good, he is hasten- 
ing to receive the reward of his good actions in the eternal kingdom 
of peace, of joy, and of felicity ! 



JANUARY XVIII. 

OF THE LAPLANDERS. 

It is my desire to begin this meditation with a lively sense of grati- 
tude to my Creator, and of compassion for those of my fellow-crea- 
tures to whom nature has been less bountiful in her gifts. I shall 
confine my attention in this day's reflection to the Laplanders, and to 
the natives of those countries which border upon the arctic circle ; a 
race of people whose lot, compared with ours, seems to be much less 
happy. Their country is almost entirely formed of mountains, per- 
petually capped with snow and ice, the continued chain of which is 
only interrupted by vast marshes. Winter reigns during the greatest 
part of the year ; the nights are long, and the days have but a feeble 
light. According to the season, the inhabitants live in houses or in 
tents. In winter they seek shelter from the cold in their houses, 
which have neither door nor chimney ; the fire is in the centre, and 
the smoke escapes through a vaulted aperture in front, by which they 
enter the house, being from the lowness of the passage obliged to 
creep upon their hands and feet ; the roof of the house is covered 
with furs, and the walls within are lined with the same materials : 
they also sleep and sit down upon the skins of animals. During six 
months of the year they are enveloped in the shades of night, and, 
confined to their houses, hear nothing around them but the whistling 
of the wind, the roaring of the tempest, and the fierce howling of 



32 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

the wolves, driven by hunger to prowl for their prey near the habita- 
tions of man. 

How thankful ought we to be that we do not live in such a cli- 
mate, where, far as the eye can reach, extends one vast chain of icy 
mountains and immense deserts, covered with snow ! where the cold 
is intense, the habitations miserable, and no means of subsistence but 
such as are offered by the dangerous and toilsome chase can be ob- , 
tained ! where we should be deprived of all the pleasures and com- 
forts procured by the arts, and all the charms and blessings of a cul- 
tivated society ! Let us then feel and know the value of our own cli- 
mate, and glorify God, who has made our condition so much superior, 
and distinguished us with such numerous advantages. Yet the hardy 
inhabitant of these northern regions is not the unfortunate being we 
may suppose. It is true that he wanders exposed to every inclemency 
of sky, through a dreary and rugged country ; that he is poor, and 
deprived of many of life's choicest blessings ; and that for months 
together he is never cheered by the sun-beams. But his frame is 
strong and capable of enduring much fatigue, his wants are few, 
education and habit inure him to the rigours of the clime, and the 
gloom of his long nights is rendered supportable by the moon and fre- 
quent glimmering of the aurora borealis. The Laplander is ex- 
tremely agile, and glides over the snow, upon skates, with a velocity 
which frequently outstrips the fleet deer: in these expeditions, a 
stranger to fear, he will scale the hills or fly down the precipice. 
The rein-deer is subservient to his use, and yoked to the sledge this 
swift animal will draw him over immense tracts of country ; and when 
worn out with age or fatigue, his skin supplies clothing and fur- 
niture. 

In the beginning of the spring, when the melting snow penetrates 
their humble roofs, these people quit their houses to pass the summer 
in tents, which they find more convenient for their mode of living ; 
these they make as comfortable as possible, and smile at the accounts 
of travellers who attempt to persuade them it is possible to enjoy 
greater happiness than they experience in what we call their mise- 
rable situation. They are hospitable, and lovers of peace ; but prone 
to revenge, and extremely superstitious : they have their feasts and 
their entertainments, with different diversions ; and were the rays of 
knowledge and of a pure religion ever to irradiate their minds ; their 
idle dreams of witches, of spirits, and of hobgoblins ; their belief in 
magic and in charms ; to be dissipated by the torch of truth, they 
might, indeed, since happiness is not confined to any particular 
country, be a happy and an independent race of men. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. S3 

JANUARY XIX. 

WISDOM DISPLAYED IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE GLOBE. 

However limited the human capacity may be, and confined the 
understanding ; and though we are unable to comprehend the great 
plan of the universe, we may yet, through the medium of our senses, 
and by the exertion of those faculties which we all enjoy, discover 
enough to know and to admire the wisdom of God. To be convinced 
of this we have only to consider the figure of the earth, which we 
shall find to be that of a sphere, a form the best adapted for its sur- 
face, to be every where inhabited by living creatures. This end 
could not have been accomplished if the inhabitants of the earth did 
not experience a sufficient degree of light and heat ; if water could 
not, in every part, circulate without impediment ; and if the winds 
were not suffered to blow unretarded by obstacles. For all these pur- 
poses the rotundity of the earth is admirably adapted ; it is owing to 
this that the light and heat are so readily diffused throughout the 
globe. Were it not for this form, the succession of night and day, 
the different changes of the temperature of the air, of cold, of heat, 
of moisture, and of dryness, could not have occurred. 

If we consider the immense body of the earth, and its excellent 
degree of consistence, neither too hard nor too soft, we have still more 
cause to admire the Supreme wisdom. Was it more hard, more com- 
pact, and less penetrable, it would be incapable of being converted to 
the purposes of agriculture, and we should not enjoy the plants, the 
herbs, the roots, and the flowers, which now beautify its surface, and 
are nourished within its fostering bosom. The earth is formed of 
different strata, consisting of fossils, bituminous and calcareous mat- 
ters, metals, and minerals ; the water which we drink and convert to 
so many useful purposes is rendered limpid by filtrating through beds 
of sand at a great depth within the earth ; the mountains and the 
valleys, the plains and the hills, which diversify its surface, whilst 
they contribute by their beauty to the pleasure of man, promote his 
health, as well as the salubrity of the various species of plants and 
animals which exist in every situation of the earth. 

Who is there that will not acknowledge that the whole plan of the 
earth, its form, its exterior and interior structure, are all regulated by 
the wisest laws, and all tending to promote and to increase the hap- 
piness of animated beings ] Wherever we direct our attention, whether 
to examine the beautiful and grand objects diffused over the face of 
nature, or whether to penetrate within the interior of the earth, we 
perceive that every thing is arranged with wisdom, and we every where 
discover the legible characters and broad stamp of an Infinite, Al- 
mighty, and Supreme Being. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 



JANUARY XX. 

SHORT MEDITATIONS UPON THE WORKS OF GOD, TAKEN FROM THE 

SCRIPTURES. 

1 Hearken unto this, stand still, and consider the wonderful works 
of God.'* 

? Jehovah hath formed the earth by his power ; he hath established 
the earth by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his 
understanding.'! 

( And God said, Let there be light, and there was light ; and God 
saw the light that it was good ; and God separated the light from the 
darkness, and he called the light day, and the darkness he called 
nighU'J 

' Thou art the Lord who hast made the heavens and the heaven 
of heavens, with all their hosts ; the earth, and all things therein ; 
the seas, and all that is therein : thou givest life to all things, and 
the hosts of heaven worship thee.'§ 

6 O Lord, my God ! thou art marvellously great ; thou art clothed 
with honour and majesty ! Who coverest thyself with light as with a 
garment : who stretchiest out the heavens as a curtain. The Lord 
layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters, he maketh the 
clouds his chariot ; he walketh upon the wings of the wind : he 
maketh the winds his messengers, and the lightnings his agents. He 
hath laid the foundations of the earth so that they cannot be shaken. 
He hath covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters 
stood above the mountains, but at his rebuke they fled ; at the voice 
of his thunder they hasted away.'|| 

6 He has stretched out the heavens over the chaos, and hath hung 
the earth upon nothing. He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds, 
and the cloud is not rent under them. His power raiseth the waves 
of the sea, and his wisdom restraineth their fury.^f He raiseth the 
vapours, and assembleth them in clouds, which pour down in rain 
upon the face of the earth. He covereth the heavens with dark 
clouds, and the thunderbolts issue from his tabernacle. He darts his 
lightnings through the thick clouds, where all the waters of the sea 
seem to be collected. Thence, as from his throne, he pronounceth 
judgment upon the nations, or scattereth abundance over the face of 
the earth.'** 

6 The thunder peals, and we see the lightnings flash ; God an- 
nounceth his wonders, and performeth things too marvellous for our 
comprehension. He sayeth unto the rain of winter, Fall down upon 
the earth ; and it inundates the countries. Out of the south cometh 
the whirlwind, and cold out of the north. By the breath of God ice 
is produced, and the waters which were spread on all sides are held in 
chains. He causeth the most clear and serene sky to succeed to that 

* Job xxxvii. 14. f Jer. x. 12. \ Gen. i. 3—5. § Neh. ix. 6. 

j| Pe. civ. 1, 7. if Job xxvi. 7—12. ** Job xxxvi. 27, &c. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 35 

which was most obscured ; and his light dispels the clouds.* He 
who holds the reins of the world, collects these meteors, that they 
may fulfil the task which he hath appointed them on the face of the 
earth ; whether he intends that they should punish men, or manifest 
the effects of his bounty. 

' God is wise in heart, and mighty in strength : who hath opposed 
him and hath prospered? He snatcheth up the mountains, and 
overturneth them with the breath of his nostrils. He shaketh the 
earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. He com- 
mandeththe sun, and it riseth not ; and he sealeth up the stars. He 
spreadeth out the heavens alone, and walketh upon the waves of the 
sea. He hath formed the constellations Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, 
and the chambers of the south.' f 

' Thou hast opened the fountain and the torrent ; thou hast dried 
up the mighty rivers. The day is thine ; the night also is thine : 
thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou hast set all the 
borders of the earth ; thou hast made summer and winter. I He 
raiseth up the east wind in the air, and sendeth forth the south wind 
by his power. '§ 

' He watereth the mountains from his chambers ; the earth is 
satisfied with the fruit of his works. He causeth the grass to grow 
for the cattle, and grain for the service of man, that he may bring 
forth fruit out of the earth. '|| ' For thus saith the Lord that created 
the heaven : God himself that formed the earth and made it, and 
hath established it, created it not in vain ; he formed it to be inha- 
bited. I am the Lord, and there is none else.'^T 



JANUARY XXI. 

OF THE HUMAN VOICE. 

The human voice, both in its principles, its variations, and its or- 
gans, is certainly most admirable, and its nature difficult to be ex- 
plained. Let us first consider the organs by which we are enabled to 
emit sounds. The air is received into the lungs through a tube call- 
ed the trachea or windpipe ; this is chiefly formed of cartilages nearly 
circular, united by an elastic membrane. The entrance from the 
mouth is singularly formed, so as to admit the passage of air into and 
from the lungs ; but as the smallest particle of food getting into the 
trachea would be productive of the worst consequences, a valve is 
placed over the mouth of the tube, which is shut whilst we eat or 
drink, and only opens to admit the passage of air.** The air being 
then expelled through this tube into the larynx with a certain degree 

* Job xxxvii. 5, &c. f Job ix - 4 - 9 - X Ps - lxxiv - 15 — 17 - 

§ Ps. lxviii. 26. || Ps. civ. 13, 14. IT Isa. xlv. 18. 

** This valve is called the epiglottis, and the orifice over which it is placed, the glottis : 
there are, besides, cartilages called thyroid, two arytenoid, and the crycoid, all together 
constituting the larynx, which is the part most essential to the voice. — E. 



36 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

of force, and thence into the mouth, occasions the voice, which is 
formed when the air is quickly expelled through the contracted glot- 
tis into the larynx, from which the sound arises. The particular for- 
mation, and the different degrees of contraction and motion of the 
larynx, glottis, &c. and the manner in which the air is expelled 
through their parts, principally conduce to occasion the great variety 
of sounds and difference of voice we meet with.* 

Speech consists in the pronunciation of letters, which are of two 
kinds : those which are pronounced without the tongue moving 
against any part of the mouth, are called vowels ; those which re- 
quire collision of the tongue with some other part of the mouth, lips, 
and teeth, are consonants. The communication between the nos- 
trils and the mouth, much facilitates our pronunciation ; hence when 
this channel is obstructed we experience a great change of voice. 

Having thus generally considered the parts necessary to the for- 
mation of the voice, let us reflect a little upon its beauties and advan- 
tages. By the means of the voice we have been enabled to become 
a civilized people, and have obtained all the blessings peculiar to 
that state. We find when it pleased God to confound the impious 
builders of Babel, he had only to render their language unintelligible 
to each other, and the work could not proceed. Consider it in all its 
consequences with regard to society, and it will be found that, with- 
out the means of rendering ourselves understood by our companions, 
social intercourse must cease. Besides, there is something so fasci- 
nating in some of the modulations of the voice, that they penetrate 
our souls, and we acknowledge their influence from the bottom of our 
heart. A pleasing and soft voice, tuned to the language it utters, is 
irresistible ; and we often, from the tone of the voice, judge of the 
temper of the mind. Let us then, since experience teaches us this 
pleasing gift may be improved by attention, spare no pains in its cul- 
tivation, and offer up our thanks to the Almighty for bestowing upon 
us a treasure, without which, life would not be desirable ; a treasure 
which by our own exertions we can make still more estimable : and 
may we never be found amongst the number of those who misapply 
this heavenly gift, but ever convert it to the benefit and pleasure of 
our fellow-creatures ! 

* The author divides the trachea into four equal parts, which he says, produce the 
twelve full tones that he asserts the human voice is possessed of ; these he subdivides 
into one hundred more, and hence sets down that a man may produce 2400 different 
tones of voice, which may all be distinguished by the ear. To say nothing of the very 
little we yet know respecting the tones of the human voice ; which, however, we have 
reason to believe, if accurately investigated, would be found to be very few, though sus 
ceptible of infinite variation ; I have only to observe, that so far from the trachea pro 
ducing these tones, it may be divided, or wounded, without the voice suffering, whilst 
the slightest injury done to the larynx will materially affect the voice. — E. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS, 37 

JANUARY XXII. 

NECESSITY OF REFLECTING UPON GOD. 

I address myself to those who seek with laudable solicitude, to de- 
rive edification from every occurrence. I wish to induce you, by 
regarding the different changes of nature at this season, to be led to 
reflect upon the wonders of God, whose glory shines now equally ma- 
nifest as at every other time. Whilst you behold the earth covered 
with snow, rivers arrested in their course by the frost, the trees stripped 
of their foliage, and all nature wild and desolate, think of the reasons 
which alone can influence Providence in this change, which you will 
find to be for the benefit of the whole creation. If, from the contrac- 
tion of your mind, the narrow limits of your faculties, you can scarcely 
comprehend the smallest part of the designs of God, let it satisfy you 
to know that the snow, the ice, and all the phenomena which winter 
presents, are comprehended within the plan of Supreme Wisdom for 
the well-being of created nature. 

You can no where cast your view, but objects present themselves to 
call forth your piety ; when you see the snow melt, the ice dissolve, 
and day after day glide with rapidity, you may reflect upon the short 
and uncertain span of life. If all the comforts which ease and afflu- 
ence can impart are within your possession, think of those unfortunate 
people who, destitute of the common necessaries of life, are sinking 
beneath the rigours of the season, and whom you are loudly called 
upon to assist with a portion of your superfluities. But above all, 
cultivate your mind ; supply it with those rich materials of knowledge 
which no earthly power can bereave you of ; and whilst you thus 
enlarge your mind, keep alive all the feelings of 'your heart, let it 
ever pulsate to the happiness of your fellow-creatures, and never die 
Out from the misery you cannot relieve. You will then be able to 
regulate your passions, to disregard sensuality, and rise superior to all 
trifling and sordid emotions. You will never have occasion to fly to 
dissipation to enable you to pass the tedious length of the day ; whilst 
others are indulging in debauch, and in sinful pleasures, you will, 
from the workings of your mind, and from the contemplation of the 
works of God, whether you are in the privacy of retirement or in the 
company of those whom you love and esteem, find pleasures the most 
exquisite, because they are pure and unalloyed, and permanent, 
because they are furnished by the mind, which lives for ever. What- 
ever" tends to abstract our thoughts from the petty occurrences of 
terrestrial objects, and fix them upon God and the effects of his wisdom, 
advances the dignity of our nature, renders our minds noble and 
elevated, and diffuses over the soul a sensation of that felicity which 
we have reason to believe is the portion of the angels of light ; and 
the continuance of which, according to our several degrees of merit, 
we may hope to experience in the blessed regions of eternal purity 

and truth. 
4 



38 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

JANUARY XXIII. 

THE FEAR OF APPARITIONS. 

During the long dark nights of winter, many people are troubled 
with a ridiculous fear of apparitions. At the period when the natural 
imbecility of man was more a prey to superstition than it is in this 
more enlightened age, such idle fears were less reprehensible, because 
they were imbibed in childhood, and communicated through the 
impressive medium of religion. But that such notions should still 
disgrace an intellectual people is remarkable. It shows how ready 
the invention of man is to be employed in conjuring up monsters, and 
in tormenting himself : as if there were not already enough of real 
evils to afflict him, he creates imaginary ones, and becomes wretched 
because he thinks he is so. How wretched is the miser through his 
fear of thieves ; the misanthrope, from his doubt and mistrust of all 
who surround him ; and the discontented man, from dissatisfaction 
with his condition, and anxiety for the future ! Hence let us learn to 
guard against the illusions of the imagination, which not only during 
the night presents spectres to our view, but also, in the day-time, often 
deceives us by painting vice in alluring forms and attracting colours. 
Happy should we be if we were as eager to fly from the temptations 
to ev41 as we are from the imaginary terrors of an apparition. 

Whence is it that some people, whose courage in real danger never 
shrinks, are violently affected by these chimeras *? Because their ima- 
gination clothes its objects in colours much more glowing than they 
really possess, and in this case, being perverted before reason can 
operate, terror has completely possessed the mind. Admitting the 
existence of spectres, why should the return of one from the dead so 
horribly shake our nature, when we live in the certainty of being one 
day transported into a world of incorporeal beings ? Though we are 
convinced that every moment brings us nearer to the presence of the 
eternal God, we feel no fear from such a conviction ; yet were an 
apparition at midnight to interrupt our repose, and announce the 
decree that we must soon follow it to an unknown country, the boldest 
amongst us would feel an emotion of terror, and await the event with 
the utmost torture of suspense. Yet we regard not the voice of the 
Most High, which cries, ' Prepare, O Israel, to meet thy God !' Let us 
not give up our minds to unnecessary alarms, but rather fear that 
Being at whose coming the hearts of the bravest will be appalled, and 
the, wicked shall call upon the mountains to hide and the hills to 
cover them. Fear to do that which is contrary to the will of God, 
and you may banish every other fear, and sing with David, * The 
Lord is my light, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my 
soul, of whom shall I be afraid V 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 39 

JANUARY XXIV. 

SUBTERRANEOUS FIRES. 

There are certain phenomena occasionally observed which strongly 
prove the existence of subterranean fires. Terrible eruptions of 
inflammable matter, from time to time, take place. The two most 
known and most considerable mountains which produce these effects 
are Etna in Sicily, and Vesuvius in the kingdom of Naples. The 
accounts given of these two volcanoes are very terrible. At different 
intervals vast eruptions of fiery matter issue. Sometimes only a black 
vapour is seen to arise, and at the same time are heard hollow rumbling 
noises, often succeeded by strong flashes of fire, and peals like thunder, 
accompanied with the sensation of an earthquake. The vapour then 
becomes luminous, and showers of stones and lava are evolved, part 
of which falls again within the crater, though enough of them fall 
without to lay waste the neighbouring country, and they are some- 
times whirled to a considerable distance. These terrible explosions 
are sometimes even more violent. With the noise of thunder, tor- 
rents of burning sulphur, and liquid metals, enveloped with clouds of 
ashes and smoke, are hurled to an immense distance ; rocks, upborne 
by the force of the explosion, fall with a dreadful crash ; and cataracts 
of fire pour down the steep of the mountain ; the deluge sweeps over 
the villages, plantations, and cities ; the earth rocks, and they who 
escape the flood fall within the gulph made by the earthquake, or, 
tossed from wave to wave, are buried in the general wreck. 



JANUARY XXV. 

\ 

OF COMETS. 

That remarkable star which derives its name from the vapour 
which surrounds it, may justly be ranked amongst the heavenly 
bodies which form a part of our system. Like our planets, it has its 
revolution round the sun; but it differs from them all, by its peculiar 
motion, orbit, and figure. Seen through a telescope, a comet appears 
full of spots and inequalities ; but a thick vapour frequently renders 
it impossible to observe its figure. The number of comets in our sys- 
tem is about twenty-one, moving in different directions, varying in 
size, and of much greater density than our earth. Their figure is 
not always round, and they are not always equally luminous. The 
train, or tail, is so transparent, that the fixed stars may be seen through 
it, and sometimes it extends to an immense distance in the heavens ; 
the farther it reaches the broader it seems to become, and is at times 
divided into rays. When nearest the sun, the heat of a particular 
comet has been computed by Newton to be two thousand times hotter 



40 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

than red-hot iron, and it would retain this heat until it came round 
again, though the period should be more than 20,000 years. 

What we have just advanced on this subject is the result of obser- 
vations made by astronomers. But there are many things concerning 
the heavenly bodies which we can never understand ; and many of 
them are entirely removed from our sight. Is a comet an aqueous 
planet, or a burning globe ? Can it be inhabited, when at one time it 
is placed so near the sun that the heat must be excessive, and at other 
times passing far beyond the orbits of other planets, it is immersed in 
the utter darkness, where the suns ray's have no influence 1 Has the 
Great Judge of the earth destined comets for the abode of the unrighte- 
ous and the chastisement of the wicked ] Shall these erratic bodies 
one day become the means of turning the planets from their orbits, 
and effecting their destruction 1 Or, are they still deserts, without form 
and void, as was the earth before the Creator made it habitable and 
fruitful 1 These questions cannot be resolved by natural wisdom ; 
and from our incapacity in this respect we may learn humility, 
and be convinced how very limited are the powers of the human 
understanding. 

Men too frequently neglect this truth. Were it present to their 
hearts, the appearance of a comet would not raise in their minds so 
many vain conjectures and fruitless opinions. Some men regard 
comets as the precursors of Heaven's judgments ; and some read in 
their aspect the destiny of nations and the fall of empires. Others 
again predict, from their appearance, wars, famine, and plagues ; and 
consider them as the severest scourge of man. These superstitious 
people never reflect that a comet is a natural body which does not 
derange the order of the universe, and the return of which may be 
calculated with certainty ; neither do they consider that this body, as 
well as the other planets, must have a much more important destina- 
tion than that which superstition allows them. Are we to be told 
that the Supreme Almighty Wisdom has placed these immense and 
magnificent luminaries in the firmament, to announce to a few poor 
creatures the fate which awaits them % 



JANUARY XXVI. 

OF SNOW. 

Although snow is very familiar to every one at this season of the 
year, its formation is sufficiently interesting to delight a mind fond of 
reflection. 

Snow consists of watery particles frozen in the air : frozen water be- 
comes ice ; and snow only differs from ice in this respect, that the water 
which constituted ice has been frozen when in its ordinary density, 
whilst the water which forms snow has been frozen when its particles 
were separated and reduced to a state of vapour. It has been proved 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 41 

by experiments that snow, at the first instant of its falling, is about 
twenty-four times more rare than water, and occupies ten or twelve 
times the space it does when dissolved. 

The formation of the flakes of snow is both curious and beautiful : 
and were it not so familiar an object, would certainly fill us with 
astonishment. Let us, each time we see the thick flakes descend 
from the heavens, think of the benevolent Creator of nature, " which 
loveth all his works : which scattereth his snow like w T ool, and his 
hoar-frost like the shining pearls ; w T hich commandeth the cold to 
bless and to fertilize the earth, and to whom be rendered, for ever and 
ever, all praise, honour, and glory." 



JANUARY XXVII. 

RAPIDITY WITH WHICH LIFE PASSES AWAY. 

That life is transitory, and the thread of existence very fragile, 
we have ample experience from the earliest glimmerings of reason : 
every thing around us serves to evince the uncertainty of time. Let 
us consider how rapidly the days have fled and the years have elapsed, 
and how imperceptible has been their flight ! If we attempt to recall 
them to our memory, to follow their rapid course, w r e shall find our- 
selves unequal to the task, and unable to mark the different epochs, 
unless they have been memorable for some remarkable incidents, 
which have made a forcible impression upon our minds. How many 
years of infancy, devoted to the diversions of that tender age, have 
fled unheeded, and left not a trace behind ! How often during the 
giddy thoughtlessness of youth, when beguiled by passions, and pur- 
suing wild pleasures, we had neither opportunity nor desire for re- 
flection ! 

When succeeding years have rendered a change of habit neces- 
sary, some have thought that they would act more as became rational 
beings ; but the cares of the world occupied their attention, and so 
possessed their souls as to prevent their reflecting upon the manner in 
which their hours had been passed. Their family increases, and 
their cares and efforts to provide for their necessities likewise accu- 
mulate. Old age insensibly approaches, and perhaps there will then 
be an equal inability and want of leisure to reflect upon the present, 
or to remember what they have done, and what they have neglected 
to do ; thus they never know the great end which they were designed 
to answer in the creation. 

Let no one defer reflecting upon this state till old age ; for he can 
never be certain of attaining to it. So delicate is the tree of life, that 
with difficulty it advances to maturity : often nipped in the bud, it 
perishes before its petals have expanded ; even shoots of vigour, which 
promised to flourish with strength and with beauty, have their sap 
withered, and die. To leave the language of metaphor, how many 
4* F 



42 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

a noble youth, formed in nature's fairest mould, just as his virtues 
are beginning to open, and his mind to beam, bows beneath the pale 
messenger ! How many of the softer sex, with charms sweet as the 
opening morn, whose attractive graces entwine the heart, live but to 
show the beauty of nature, and then, as if too refined for this sphere, 
wing their flight to purer regions ! If we are permitted to pass the 
period of youth safe from the dangers which threaten, we are still 
uncertain as to the continuance of another hour. Let this reflection 
then induce us ever to live as if the present day was to be the last of 
our existence, and we shall then pass the time in employment suited 
to the nature of intelligent and rational beings. 



JANUARY XXVIII. 

HOAR-FROST OBSERVED ON THE GLASS OP WINDOWS. 

In this little phenomenon we may observe with how much simpli- 
city, variety, and order, nature arranges her least productions. Though 
we frequently admire the extraordinary figures which the frost on 
glass presents to us, we seldom consider them with much attention. 
This phenomenon is occasioned by heat, which in a close apartment 
seeks to diffuse itself on all sides, and to penetrate cooler bodies. 
Hence it glides through the close contexture of the glass, and in 
passing through, leaves on the inside the portions of air and water to 
which it was united : it forms a cloudy which thickens as the heat 
passes out, till there remains too little in the chamber to hold the par- 
ticles of water on the glass in a state of fluidity, and these becoming 
congealed, produce that diversity of appearances with which the win- 
dows are covered. The beginning of these figures is formed by 
small filaments of ice, which insensibly unite : we at first see lines 
extremely fine, from which others proceed, which in their turn pro- 
duce fresh filaments, resembling those which grow from a quill. When 
the frost is strong, and the first crust of ice is thickened, the most 
beautiful flowers, and lines of various kinds, sometimes straight, 
sometimes spiral, are produced. We may here learn a truth very 
essential to our happiness. Consider the flowers which the frost has 
pourtrayed on the glass ; they are beautifully and artificially varied : 
yet one ray of the noon-day sun effaces them ! So the imagination 
paints every thing beautiful to us : but whatever it represents as 
attractive, in the possession of the goods of this world, is but a 
pleasing image, which the light of reason will dissipate. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 43 

JANUARY XXIX. 

ON THE USE OF BREAD. 

Of those aliments which are distributed with such abundance for 
the support of man, none seems to be more general or more necessary 
than bread. It is consumed alike by the poor and the rich, by the 
sick and by the healthy ; and would seem to be the food more par- 
ticularly designed by nature for our support, and we find the plant 
which produces the materials for its preparation will grow, and its 
fruit be matured, in almost every climate. We eat bread with plea- 
sure from infancy to old age, whilst a continued succession of the 
richest viands cloys and satiates. Let us, then, each time of breaking 
bread, be mindful of its great utility, and be grateful to the bounteous 
Giver of good for such a blessing. But how can we render our gra- 
titude more acceptable, than by dividing a portion of the bread which 
we possess in abundance amongst those who have received a more 
limited quantity ? And by doing this, each time that we break our 
fast, we shall have the pleasing satisfaction of knowing, that the 
mouths of the hungry are filled, and the needy sent away rejoicing 
for the plenty which the favour of Heaven permits us to enjoy. 



JANUARY XXX. 

OF OUR DUTY IN RESPECT TO SLEEP. 

It is painful to observe that most people abandon themselves to 
sleep with the utmost carelessness. Considering it only in respect to 
our bodies, the change produced in them by sleep is very considerable 
and important. If we consider it in other respects, and reflect upon 
What may take place during the awful stillness of the night, it ap- 
pears to me, that we ought never to resign ourselves into the arms of 
sleep without due reflection upon our state, and being in some degree 
prepared for what may take place. 

How thankful should we be to the Creator for the blessings of 
sleep ! Those whose hearts are oppressed with grief, whom doubts 
and anxiety assail, whom maladies afflict, tossing on their pillow, a 
prey to care and distracting thoughts, alone can estimate the value of 
sleep, or know the sweets of its influence. Let not its treasures be 
abused ; do not indulge them to excess, by suffering indolence and 
effeminacy to prolong your slumbers beyond the time which nature 
seems to require ; nor suffer avarice, ambition, or any passion, to cur- 
tail the necessary hours of repose. Above all, endeavour to secure a 
pure repose by the tranquillity of your mind ; let it not be ruffled by 
contending emotions, nor disturbed by the pangs of a conscience ill at 
rest ; and be well prepared to meet the presence of your God ; for 



44 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

you know not but this night you may be amongst the number of those 
who lie down to rise no more. Let this be your thought : « If during 
this night my soul is required of me, am I ready to stand before my 
Maker, before that Being from whom nothing is hidden ? We daily 
feel our deficiencies, and the weakness of our hearts ; which we be- 
seech the Lord to pardon and to blot out from all remembrance, for 
the love of Christ Jesus.' 



JANUARY XXXI. 

OF THE REVOLUTIONS WHICH ARE CONTINUALLY TAKING PLACE IN 

NATURE. 

All the vicissitudes of nature are derived from those immutable 
laws, which the Creator established when he made the heavens and 
the earth to rise out of chaos. Since that period, upwards of five 
thousand years have passed away, and the inhabitants of the hea- 
vens and the earth have witnessed at certain times the return of the 
same vicissitudes, and of the same effects ; they still continue to see 
that sun, that moon, and those stars, which God once formed, revolve 
with regularity in their destined course, and perform, with uniform 
order, their allotted revolutions. If we ask what power overrules 
them, what influence determines their course, their order, and regu- 
larity, what force governs their destination, and preserves them from 
clashing in their orbs, or from whirling off into the vast space of hea- 
ven, we are led to the great First Cause of all things, the Almighty 
God, who has marked out the circle they are to describe in the hea- 
vens, who directs their course, and preserves the beauty and the har- 
mony of the universe with wisdom and power too great for finite be- 
ings to conceive or to comprehend. 

Nearer to us, the elements are in continual agitation. The air is 
ever in motion, and the waters unceasingly flow ; rivers beginning 
with small and imperceptible sources, increased by a thousand tribu- 
tary brooks, form streams, which rising in their course, swell to an 
amazing bulk, and roll majestically towards the ocean, into which 
they incessantly heave their accumulating waves. From the sea's 
vast surface vapours arise, and collected in the sky, form clouds, 
which continually breaking, shower down the collected water in the 
form of rain, hail, or snow ; and this, penetrating the bosom of the 
earth, and making its way into the depths of the mountains, sup- 
plies the original sources of the streams, thus preserving an endless 
circulation. 

The seasons continue for a limited term, and succeed each other in 
the order prescribed from the beginning of time. Each year the earth 
resumes her fertility, vegetation flourishes, and the returning harvest 
gladdens her inhabitants : her gifts are never exhausted, because her 
productions are always returned to her. Winter arrives at the ap- 
pointed time, and brings the necessary repose ; when this is obtained, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 45 

spring succeeds, and nature awakes from her short sleep with gayety, 
pleasure, and love. This circulation is observed in every living crea- 
ture ; the blood transmitted from the centre flows by different ramifi- 
cations of vessels to the most distant parts of the body, imparting to 
them life and vigour, and then returns to the heart, whence it pro- 
ceeded. All these revolutions lead us to the contemplation of Him 
who fixed their foundation at the creation of the world, and has since 
by his power and his wisdom continued to direct them with unceasing 
perfection. 

We have now seen the conclusion of this month, which is gone 
for ever; we can never experience its return under exactly the 
same circumstances. The period will at last arrive when all the vast 
machinery of this universe must stop, and all its wheels be motion- 
less; when the spheres shall cease to roll, and all the defined periods 
of time be lost in eternity. But the infinite and immutable God will 
still remain, and with him all those into whose nostrils he has breathed 
the breath of life. 



FEBRUARY I. 

EVERT THING IN NATURE CONDUCES TO THE GOOD OF MANKIND. 

It behoves thee, O man ! to be deeply sensible of the love and 
preference with which God has honoured thee, in distinguishing thee 
from all other creatures, by so many advantages. Acknowledge, as 
thou oughtest, the privilege of being peculiarly the object of the Di- 
vine liberality, of being the chief of whatsoever he has formed for 
the manifestation of his glorious attributes. It is for thee that all 
nature labours ; in the earth, the air, and the waters. For thee the 
sheep is clothed with wool; the horse by his horny hoofs is enabled 
to bear heavy loads, and climb the most rugged steeps : the silk- 
worm spins her soft web ; the fishes in the ocean are nourished ; the 
bee burrows in the bosom of the sweetest flowers, and extracts their 
treasures ; the stubborn ox submits to the yoke : and for thee the 
forests, the fields, and the gardens, are exuberant in riches, the very 
mountains are fruitful, and the depths of the earth reward the toil of 
him who explores their recesses. 

It is true that, compared with other animals, thy wants are very 
numerous ; but thou art infinitely better provided with faculties, ta- 
lents, and industry, to make every thing around thee subservient to 
thy utility and pleasure. Thousands of creatures contribute to 
nourish thee, to clothe, to make thy habitation, and to furnish thee 
with comforts and conveniences innumerable. 

But the bountiful Creator has not rested here ; he has not merely 
provided for thy wants, he has condescended to procure thee every 
variety of charms : for thee the lark carols her lay, and Philomela 
makes the groves echo to her song ; the meads and the lawns charm 



46 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

thee with their varied beauties ; and the air far round smells sweet 
with the flower-scented breezes. But thou art infinitely blessed be- 
yond all these, in that noble faculty of reason, which makes the 
haughty lord of the forest crouch at thy feet, and the monarch of the 
ocean contribute to thy riches ; which enables thee to walk abroad 
through nature, and contemplate the grandeur, beauty, and magnifi- 
cence of her works, and not to rest satisfied in the admiration of their 
order and harmonious catenation, but to reflect upon the first cause 
of their being ; and though removed from their presence, to be still 
able to enjoy endless delight, from the pleasing recollection of their 
beauty and sublimity, heightened by the power of imagination. 

Such meditations as these could not often fill the mind, without 
our hearts being warmed with the sensations of love and of grati- 
tude for the Divine Creator. When we look around us, and contem- 
plate the vast spectacle of nature ; if we soar into the heavens, or 
dive down into the deep ; we shall find all created things ultimately 
conducing to our good. And surely we cannot more effectually an- 
swer the great end of our being, and in some degree requite the good- 
ness of God, than by cultivating those talents which he has been 
graciously pleased to confer upon us, and calling forth all those finer 
feelings of the heart which he has permitted us to enjoy. Without 
the one, we shall never be able to comprehend any portion of the 
sublimity of nature and nature's works ; without the other, in vain 
will the sighs of the miserable break upon our ear, or the pangs of 
the afflicted meet us in the way. The storm may howl around, and 
the tempest roar, but secure in ourselves we shall be regardless of an- 
other's suffering. The consequence must then be, a conscience sear- 
ed, a mind weak and contracted, and a heart alive only to villany and 
ingratitude. Can such ever be the language of Christianity, or the 
conduct of Christians ; of men for whom ineffable happiness and joy 
is in store, who are looking forward to the holy kingdom of Christ, 
' where shall be alone found pleasure without alloy V 



FEBRUARY II. 

OF THE INFLUENCE WHICH COLD HAS UPON HEALTH. 

In these severe winter months, it is not unusual for many people 
to be lavish in their praises of the other seasons. Spring, summer, 
and autumn, whilst we enjoy their blessings, are little attended to ; 
but when we no longer profit by their advantages, we praise them 
beyond measure. It is usual with men to disregard their present 
benefits, and only begin to feel their value when they can no longer 
enjoy them. But is it true that those three seasons alone possess 
every advantage 1 Is winter really so great an evil as some represent 
it to be ? These are important questions, as they considerably influ- 
ence our content and repose. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 47 

Spring and autumn are sometimes dangerous from the great and 
sudden changes of temperature, and the frequency of epidemic dis- 
eases ; and in summer the heat is very oppressive, and productive of 
debility and various maladies. In winter these inconveniences are. 
not experienced, the health is generally better, the body more vigor- 
ous, and the spirits cheerful. In summer, when sinking under the 
fervency of the sun's rays, how we sigh for the shady retreat, and the 
evening breeze, to refresh our languid frame ; whilst during the cold 
of winter we are active and alert, and rarely find the cold so intense 
that exercise will not procure us a grateful warmth. 

Thus even winter may contribute to our health, and to our plea- 
sures ; the Creator has provided for our good in this equally as much 
as in the other seasons : if we are discontented, if we do not enjoy so 
good a state of health, the fault probably rests with ourselves. Per- 
haps we pass the time in idleness and inactivity, and, immured within 
close and heated rooms, never breathe a pure air, nor go abroad to 
enjoy many of the days which really are very favourable and mild ; 
or, a prey to anxiety and distrust of the future, our days and our 
nights are consumed in hopeless lamentations ; or we corrupt our 
morals, and destroy our health and peace of mind, by intemperance. 
How happy might man be, how regular his health, if he never vio- 
lated the laws of nature nor departed from the due bounds of mode- 
ration ! if he made repose alternate with labour, and pleasure with 
business ! Let us then henceforth apply ourselves constantly to fulfil 
the great designs of the Creator towards us ; and serenity of mind, 
and gayety of heart, will render our days cheerful, whilst virtue and 
temperance will make our disposition mild, and our health firm. 



FEBRUARY III. 

A UNIFORMITY OF TEMPERATURE WOULD BE DISADVANTAGEOUS TO 

THE EARTH. 

Many people suppose that the earth would be a paradise if through- 
out the globe there was an equal distribution of heat and cold, the 
same degree of fertility, and the same division of day and of night. 
But admitting that things were thus arranged, and that in every part 
of the world there was the same degree of cold and of heat, is it true 
that mankind would gain by such a regulation more of nourishment, 
of convenience, or of pleasure ] On the contrary, if God had complied 
with such foolish desires, the earth would have been a miserable and 
sorrowful habitation. By the present wise arrangement, there is an 
infinite diversity in the works of nature. But what a sad uniformity 
would reign, how the earth would be spoiled of her beauties and her 
charms, if the revolutions of the seasons, of light and of darkness, of 
cold and of heat, were no longer to take place. Thousands of plants 
and of animals, which can only multiply in countries where the heat 



48 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

is at a certain degree, would soon cease to exist. Amongst the im- 
mense variety of natural productions, very few can live in all climates. 
The greater part of creatures inhabiting cold countries could not sup- 
port the heat of warm climates ; whilst those transported from the 
torrid zone to the regions of the north could as ill bear the change. 
If, then, a uniformity of temperature existed, many natural productions 
must perish, and nature being deprived of the charms of diversity, we 
should lose innumerable blessings. 

If every country of the earth produced the same things, wore the 
same appearance, and possessed equal advantages, the necessity of 
intercourse would be done away ; commerce must cease, and many 
arts would remain unknown : the sciences also would suffer from the 
want of communication. Besides, how should we be able to regulate 
the degree of heat and fix the temperature? Was it every where as 
hot as in the torrid zone, who could support the temperature 1 For 
those regions which are cold always withdrawing a portion of heat 
from those which are hotter, the heat diffused through the earth 
would much exceed that of the torrid zone ; and thus men, plants, 
and animals, must all perish. Suppose again a temperate heat 
should every where pervade the earth, of such a degree of tempera- 
ture as should be beneficial to all creatures, the air must then have 
the same degree of elevation, density, and elasticity. But if this 
were to take place, one chief cause of the winds would be removed, 
and the most disastrous consequences must result from their cessa- 
tion. The air would become loaded with impurities, the equable de- 
gree of heat over the earth would occasion maladies, contagions, and 
plagues, and our imaginary paradise would be converted into a desert. 

Wise and beneficent Creator ! all that thou hast done is good. 
This confession is the result of the reflections I have made whilst con- 
templating thy works. I wish always to think thus at the sight of 
every object which nature presents; and, instead of vainly imagining 
faults and imperfections, may I ever call to mind thy infinite wisdom, 
and the weakness of my own capacity ! 

Many things which at first view appear contrary to the order, and 
unnecessary to the utility, of the universe, are arranged with wisdom, 
and regulated by goodness and beauty. What may to me seem in- 
sufficient and imperfect, furnishes to men of a more enlarged under- 
standing subjects of just admiration, and calls forth their praises of 
the infinite perfections of the Creator. As in nature he has made an 
apparently unequal distribution of cold and heat, of light and dark- 
ness ; so also he has displayed great diversity in his dispensations 
towards rational creatures, and has not assigned the lot of each in a 
similar manner. Yet in this, as in nature, his ways are ever the ways 
of wisdom and love ; all that the Lord has ordered and regulated is 
perfect and admirable ; all his paths are mercy and truth : to him be 
glory for ever and for ever. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 49 

FEBRUARY IV. 

CONSIDERATION OF THE STARS. 

To every person who delights to reflect on the works of God, the 
firmament of heaven, where the resplendent stars roll their vast orbs, 
opens a noble field for observation. The harmony, the grandeur, the 
multitude, and the brilliancy of these celestial spheres, offer a most 
enrapturing spectacle to him who loves silently to contemplate the 
works of nature. The appearance of the stars alone, supposing even 
that we had no knowledge of their nature and design, would be suffi- 
cient to fill the soul with joy and with admiration ; for where can we 
see an object so striking and magnificent as the expanse of ether, re- 
splendent with the varied luminaries, which, in their several degrees 
of magnitude and brightness, traverse the heavens in cloudless ma- 
jesty ] But can we suppose that an infinitely wise Being has adorned 
the celestial canopy with these sublime objects merely as a beautiful 
spectacle or picture ] Would he have formed those suns merely that 
the inhabitants of this earth might have the pleasure of seeing in 
the firmament a number of luminous points, of whose nature and des- 
tination they know little, and which are often not to be seen at all 1 
No one who takes a broad survey of nature, and observes the won- 
derful harmony and agreement between all her works and their pro- 
posed end, can suffer such an idea to enter his mind. We cannot 
doubt but God, when he ordained the stars to shine, had a much more 
exalted view than to procure for us an agreeable sight. Though we 
cannot precisely determine all the particular ends which they may 
serve, it will not be difficult to acknowledge that one of their uses is 
the advantage as well as ornament of this world, of which the follow- 
ing observations will doubtless convince us. 

Amongst those stars which are most easily distinguished, there are 
some constantly observed in the same part of the heavens, and which 
we always see immediately over our heads. These are certain guides 
to those who travel during the obscurity of night, by sea as well as 
by land. To the mariner they point out his course, and enable him 
to reach the place of his destination. Other stars vary their aspects, 
and though they always preserve the same situation with regard to 
one another, they daily, with respect to us, change the order of their 
rising and setting ; and their variations, which are performed in regu- 
lar order, are to us of great utility ; they serve to measure time and 
to regulate it by fixed laws. The constant and stated revolutions of 
the stars accurately determine the end and the return of the seasons. 
By these means the labourer knows precisely when to trust his seeds 
to the earth, and in what order to conduct the cultivation of the 
fields. 

But whatever benefit the stars in these respects may contribute to 
the earth, we ought not to presume that is the only or the principal 
end which God has proposed in the creation of these wonderful bodies. 
5 G 



50 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

Is it possible to believe that the wise Creator has filled the immense 
expanse of ether with millions of worlds and of suns, merely, that a 
few individuals of this earth may be enabled to measure time and 
ascertain the return of the seasons 1 Doubtless these numerous globes 
are formed for much nobler purposes, and each one has its particular 
destination. All these stars being so many suns, with the power of 
communicating light, heat, and animation to other spheres, is it pro- 
bable that God should have endowed them with this power in vain 1 
Would he have created suns which can shoot their rays far as the 
earth, unless he had also created other w T orlds to enjoy their benign 
influence 1 Would God, who has peopled with so many living crea- 
tures this earth, which is but as a point in the heavens, have fixed in the 
regions of space so many vast orbs, desert and uninhabited, fruitlessly 
to roll their course 1 Certainly not. We have every reason to believe 
that each of the fixed stars which we see over our heads by thousands, 
one above another, and all around, far as the eye can penetrate, and 
yet farther, to distances immeasurable by our limited faculties, are 
suns equally resplendent as that which beams on our horizon, the life 
of our system ; have each worlds revolving round their centre, and 
receiving the blessings of their influence. We may also suppose that 
these spheres serve as abodes to different orders and species of living 
creatures, all rejoicing in the power and celebrating the magnificence 
of God. Though these are only conjectufes, formed from the little 
we know of the wonders of nature, yet they are conjectures which 
fill the mind with awe and reverence, open to it a vast and boundless 
field of thought, do away the contracted and partial notions we may 
entertain of ourselves, and tend to soften and to ameliorate our hearts. 



FEBRUARY V. 

CURIOUS FORMATION OF THE EYE. 

The eye infinitely surpasses all the works of human industry. Its 
structure is the moet wonderful thing the understanding of man can 
become acquainted with : the most skilful artist cannot invent any 
machine of this kind which is not infinitely inferior to the eye ; what- 
ever ability, industry, and attention he may devote to it, he will not 
be able to produce a work that does not abound with the imperfec- 
tions incident to the works of men. It is true we cannot become 
perfectly acquainted with all the art which Divine Wisdom has dis- 
played in the structure of this beautiful organ ; but the little that we 
do know, suffices to convince us of the admirable intelligence, good- 
ness, and power of the Creator. 

In the first place, the disposition of the exterior parts of the eye is 
excellent. How admirably it is defended ! Placed in durable orbits 
of bone, at a certain depth in the skull, the globe of the eye cannot 
easily suffer any injury. The over-arching eyebrows contribute 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 51 

much to its beauty and preservation ; and the eyelids more immedi- 
ately shelter it from the glare of light, and other things which might 
be prejudicial ; inserted in these are the eye-lashes, which also much 
contribute to the above effect, and also prevent small particles of dust 
and other substances striking against the eye.* 

The internal structure is still more admirable. The globe of the 
eye is composed of tunics, humours, muscles, and vessels; the first 
coat is called the cornea, or exterior membrane, which is transparent 
anteriorly, and opaque posteriorly ; next, the choroid, which is extremely 
vascular ; then the uvea, with the iris, which being of various co- 
lours, gives the appearance of different coloured eyes, and being per- 
forated, with the power of contraction and dilatation, forms the pupil; 
and, lastly, the retina, which is a fine expansion of the optic nerve, 
and upon it the impressions of objects are made. The humours are, 
first, the aqueous, lying in the fore-part of the globe, immediately 
under the cornea ; it is thin, liquid, and transparent : secondly, the 
crystalline, which lies next to the aqueous, behind the uvea, oppo- 
site to the pupil ; it is the least of the humours, of greater soli- 
dity, and on both sides convex : the third is the vitreous, resembling 
the white of an egg; it fills all the hind part of the cavity of the 
globe, and gives the spherical figure to the eye. The muscles of the 
eye are six, and by the excellence of their arrangement it is enabled 
to move in all directions. Vision is performed by the rays of light 
falling on the pellucid and convex cornea of the eye, by the density 
and convexity of which they are united into a focus, which passes 
the aqueous humour and pupil of the eye, to be more condensed by 
the crystalline lens. The rays of light thus concentrated, penetrate 
the vitreous humour, and stimulate the retina, upon which the images 
of objects, painted in an inverse direction, are represented to the mind 
through the medium of the optic nerves. 

Thus we have abundant cause to thank the God of mercy who has 
so exquisitely formed the eye, and to acknowledge the wisdom, 
power, and admirable skill displayed in its structure and wonderful 
organization. May we never forget the benefits we have received, 
nor the blessings we enjoy, but ever look up to the Author of our be- 
ing with gratitude ! When we see the various woes and miseries 
which afflict many of our fellow-creatures, let not our eyes refuse the 
tear of sympathy, nor our hearts be shut against compassion. May 
tears of joy flow from every eye, when we receive the renewed proofs 
of God's goodness and love; and let us rejoice when we are enabled 
to soothe the anguish of our afflicted brethren, or wipe the tear from 
the poor and the disconsolate. Thus shall we fulfil the design of our 
Maker, and enjoy the approbation of our God. 

* Besides these, amongst the external parts are enumerated the lachrymal gland, 
which secretes the tears ; the lachrymal caruncle, a small fleshy substance at the inner 
angle of the eye ; the puncta lachrymalia, two small openings on the nasal extremity of 
each eye-lash ; the lachrymal duct, formed by the union of the ducts leading from the 
puncta lachrymalia, and conveying the tears into the nose : the lachrymal sac, a dilata- 
tion of the lachrymal canal. — E. 



52 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

FEBRUARY VI. 

THE FOG. 

Amongst the numerous phenomena which we see in winter, the 
fog or mist particularly merits our attention. It is formed of exha- 
lations, whicri occupy the lower region of the atmosphere ; they arise 
from the earth, and are condensed by the greater coldness of the sur- 
rounding air. During the continuance of a mist, a grey mantle is 
spread over the face of nature ; every object is imperfectly seen and 
enveloped in obscurity ; the eye often in vain attempts to pierce the 
thick curtain ; all is confused and indistinct ; the rising sun slowly 
disperses these vapours, which at length are gradually dissipated ; 
his power is confessed, obscurity vanishes before his rays, the sur- 
rounding objects are restored to our view, and the heavens resume 
their wonted light and beauty. The mist is, however, still seen on 
the earth, but it is close to the ground, or hangs on the roofs of 
houses ; and the horizon, so long veiled from sight, now opens upon 
us. As the face of the earth, before the sun beams upon it, is over- 
spread with fog, dew, and vapours, so once were the blessed regions 
of science and of knowledge enveloped in the thick mist of ignorance 
and of superstition ; whole countries were obscured, kingdoms obum- 
brated, and darkness ruled with a leaden sceptre the grovelling race 
that licked and grew fat beneath her chains ; whilst error, prejudice, 
and sloth, so clouded their faculties and benumbed their feelings, that 
light was not sought for, nor wisdom esteemed ; human reason was 
no more, and innocence had retired. At length the moment arrived, 
when, the measure of their iniquity being filled, the triumph of dark- 
ness, of ignorance, and of superstition was to cease. The sun once 
more dawned, and flashed such a steady blaze of light from the hori- 
zon, that the gloom, which for centuries had buried man in obscu- 
rity, and rendered torpid all his powers, at once fled, overpowered by 
the fervency of the beams which penetrated her secret recesses, and 
exposed to the face of day the horrors of her naked deformity. But, 
because in this day of light and of truth we are much superior to 
those dark ages in every thing that can dignify and bless human na- 
ture, let us not think our work completed, and that we have no more 
to do. Though, emerging from Gothic gloom and Vandalic darkness, 
the light shines with greater brilliancy and power, we are still young 
in knowledge, and very ignorant of the true and pure tenets of reli- 
gion, which still labours to throw off the shackles of ceremony and 
the yoke of superstition, with which the ignorance, the presumption, 
and the audacity of man has obscured her simplicity and sullied her 
purity. The blessed period is probably hastening, when an enlight- 
ened race of men shall look back upon our generation with as much 
compassion as we now feel for the victims of oppression and monkish 
superstition, in what we are pleased to call the dark ages. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 53 

FEBRUARY VII. 

OF THE TIDES. 

The greatest part of the surface of the earth is covered with water, 
which is called sea, and is very distinct from lakes and rivers. These 
contain more or less water as the season is dry or humid, whilst the 
vast body of the ocean ever preserves its bulk unaffected by such con- 
tingencies. Twice in the day it ebbs and flows according to certain 
rules ; when at its greatest height on any shore it begins to decrease, 
which lasts about six hours, and is called the ebb. At the end of six 
hours it begins again to flow, and continues to increase six hours 
longer, when it gains its greatest elevation ; it then again retires, and 
rises again in the same space of time ; so that in twenty-four hours 
the sea has twice ebbed and twice flowed. 

The regular and alternate motion of the sea is called its flux and 
reflux, or ebbing and flowing, and constitutes the tides. When it 
rises and flows towards the coast it is called flux, when it retires from 
the shore, reflux. These tides are chiefly influenced by the moon, and 
in some degree by the sun, and are greatest during the new and the 
full moon, and least in the quarters. When both the luminaries are 
in the equator, and the moon at her least distance from the earth, the 
tide rises the highest. The greatest tides do not happen till after the 
autumnal equinox, and return a little before the vernal. Their motion 
is more remarkable in the ocean than in small seas, and would con- 
tinue for a great length of time though the sun and moon were to be 
annihilated. There is some little variation in the flux and reflux, 
which causes the tide of the succeeding day to be rather later than 
that of the preceding one ; and they do not return at the same hour 
till the expiration of thirty days, the period of a lunation. 

Thus we find the tides are affected by the changes of the moon, 
and influenced by its power of attraction ; the sun also contributes to 
their production, and the combined action of these two luminaries 
furnishes a complete solution of all the phenomena presented to us by 
the flux and reflux of the sea. The advantages arising from the 
tides are great ; by their means, the streams of rivers being checked 
in their course to the sea, the bed of the river becomes deeper, and 
ships of the largest burden are enabled to sail up their channel with 
safety ; vessels approaching bays wait for this increase of water, and 
then enter in security : aided too, by the tides, they sail up rivers 
against their natural course, and carry the means of plenty and abun- 
dance into the interior of countries. Another great advantage in the 
tides is, that by their means the waters of the ocean continually roll 
to and fro, and are thus preserved fresh and free from putridity and 
stagnation ; for though frequently agitated by winds, and often per- 
turbed by a storm, the waves would soon recover from such partial in- 
terruption, and regain a state of calm, were it not for the continued 
flux and reflux of the tides. From this ebbing and flowing of the sea 

5* 



54 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

we may call to mind the fluctuation of life, which increases to a 
certain height and then declines. Every thing in this state of proba- 
tion is fluctuating and of uncertain tenure ; no joy, no pleasure is 
permanent ,- the gayest moments of happiness," the hours of mirth and 
of festivity, suddenly depart ; and man, in the despondency of his 
heart, feels the misery of his existence, and sighs for a state of purity 
and of happiness, where the troubles, the cares, and the sorrows which 
here afflict and render comfortless his being, can never intrude to dis- 
turb his felicity, or molest his repose. Let us then, by the integrity of 
our conduct, the propriety of our actions, and the humanity of our 
hearts, merit the reward of a hope-inspiring certainty of obtaining 
such a happy abode, to cheer us on our way through this dreary pil- 
grimage ; and when anxious and ready to faint, to gladden our souls 
with some bright gleams of the heavenly regions, where bliss, and 
ecstacy, and perfect felicity, for ever dwell. 



FEBRUARY VIII. 

THE SUN IS NOT ALWAYS APPARENT. 

The heavens are not continually obscured by clouds of rain and 
snow. After showering down their contents upon the earth, they 
sometimes separate, and serenity again diffuses her cheerful smiles 
throughout the sky. The aspect of the sun, after an obscurity of 
many days, again animates life, and fills the creation with joy and 
youth; from his appearing so seldom in winter, and then for only a 
very short space, we better know how to appreciate his blessings. 
And, perhaps, this will hold good with regard to many other gifts of 
Providence : we are too apt to consider the choicest blessings of life 
with indifference, if constantly in our possession. Health, repose, 
friendship, and affluence, with many other benefits which we daily 
enjoy, seldom appear to men as valuable as they really are ; and their 
true worth is often never felt till they are irrevocably lost. Rightly 
to know and sufficiently to feel the happiness of a bosom friend, per- 
fect health, and an independent income, we should first have been 
stretched on the bed of sickness, deserted by our dearest friends, and 
reduced to the miseries of hopeless poverty. 

How uncertain and inconstant is the serenity of the sky in the 
winter season ! How little are we able to rely with certainty upon the 
possession of the beneficent rays of the sun ! At present he shines 
with unclouded majesty ; but soon the clouds will thicken, and, before 
noon, the splendour and the beauty, which in the morning shone upon 
the earth, will be eclipsed. Such is, likewise, the instability of all 
human transactions ; we can never promise to ourselves durable plea- 
sures, and uninterrupted felicity. This consideration should render 
us careful and circumspect in the hour of prosperity, and moderate 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 55 

our desire for earthly joys, since every thing is subject to change and 
inconstancy. Virtue alone is immutable ; virtue alone makes us sup- 
port with unbending firmness, the vicissitudes and the contingencies 
of life, unmoved by the frowns or the smiles of fortune ; and enables 
us to sustain the mocks and the scorn of the world, whilst we pity and 
compassionate the weak children of delusion, who show their gilded 
wings in the sunshine of to-day, and to-morrow are heard of no more. 



FEBRUARY IX. 

OF EARTHQUAKES. 

The earth is subject to two kinds of shocks; one of which is caused 
by the action of subterraneous fires, and the explosion of volcanoes. 
These commotions are only felt at short distances, and when the vol- 
canoes act, immediately before a complete eruption. As soon as the 
materials which form the subterranean fires begin to ferment and in- 
flame, the fire makes an effort in every direction ; and, if it does not 
find a natural vent, throws up the earth with violence, and forces a 
passage. In this kind of earthquake the shock is more confined, sel- 
dom extending for many miles. 

But there is another species of earthquake, very different in its 
effects, and most likely produced by very different causes. In this no 
eruption takes place, but the shaking of the earth is frequently felt at 
an immense distance ; we have instances of their being felt at the 
same time in France, England, and Germany: they are accompanied 
with a deep rumbling sound, and their effects are often dreadfully 
fatal. 

Of all the catastrophes and desolations which have ever visited 
the earth, none, since the flood, have been so terribly awful in their 
effects, and destructive in their consequences, as earthquakes. When 
rivers swelled into rapid torrents burst their banks, and with one im- 
mense gush pour upon the neighbouring country, sweeping eveiy 
thing in their way, there is still some resource ; we can fly to the tops 
of our houses, or ascend the summits of the mountains, and in safety 
behold the vast deluge, which, soon as its first fury has abated, gently 
retreats to its former boundaries. But when the earthquake violently 
perturbs the face of nature, when the earth heaves like the waves of 
the ocean, agitated by a storm, and opens a tremendous chasm, which 
receives within its abyss a whole city, vain is the thought of flight, 
and ineffectual the hope of safety. The thunder roars, and the red 
lightnings flash, and desolation marks their course ; the plague sweeps 
through a country, and despair and haggard wretchedness track its 
wide-wasting progress ; but in an earthquake, the earth heaves, 
opens, and whole provinces are seen no more, whilst the perturbation 
affects half the globe. Who can stand before the Almighty when he 
exercises his power ? Who can oppose the God of Nature when he 



m STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

rises to judge the nations 1 The hills tremble, and the mountains rock 
to their centre. The foundations of the earth are shaken, and the 
inhabitants greatly fear. His word consumeth like fire, and the 
rocks melt at his coming. But let not man vainly imagine that these 
convulsions of nature are merely to destroy him, when a blast of 
wind might in an instant lay waste the whole creation. Can any 
one be so weak as to suppose that the whole artillery of heaven must 
be employed, when a few individuals are ingulphed in the bosom of 
the earth 1 and that to punish the iniquity of a town, or to strike 
terror into the inhabitants of the earth, nature is to be thus con- 
vulsed ! Consider rather, in these dreadful visitations, a much nobler 
and more exalted view. Consider them as instruments in the hands 
of God, working for the general good and advantage of mankind. 
Earthquakes answer certain ends in the system of nature, without 
which it probably could not attain its present degree of perfection ; 
and in all great states, it is found that individual must give way to 
general good : so also with regard to the earth and its inhabitants, it 
is better that a small part suffer than that the whole be destroyed. 
Let us then acknowledge that all which appears terrible in nature, 
all the seeming imperfections in the universe, are necessary for the 
due order and preservation of the whole ; that partial evils are always 
to be disregarded ; and that all tends to show the glory and perfec- 
tions of God. We shall then adore and bless his name, though deso- 
lation impend and destruction threaten ; we shall repose upon him 
with confidence, and though the final termination of the world may 
seem to be at hand, and the mountains, hurled from their bases, be 
plunged into the sea, He will be our protector, our supporter, and sure 
resting-place. 



FEBRUARY X. 

UPON LIFE AND DEATH. 

God has observed the most exact and wonderful order in the life 
and death of man ; both are measured and regulated in the best 
manner; and nothing is more evident than the wisdom of God in the 
population of the world. In a given number of years, a proportional 
number of people of every age dies. Out of thirty-five or thirty-six 
living persons, one dies each year : but the proportion of births is 
rather greater ; for ten who die, in the same period of time, and 
among the same number of persons, twelve are born. In the first 
year, one infant out of three generally dies ; in the fifth year, one 
out of twenty-five ; and so on, the number of deaths lessening till 
the age of twenty-five, when they again begin to increase. How 
evident is the care which Divine Providence extends over his crea- 
tures ! From the very moment of their entering the world he pro- 
tects and watches over them ; the poor as well as the rich enjoy his 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 57 

protection. Let us then not anticipate the hour of death with fear, 
nor render unpleasant our time with apprehensions ; but firmly rely 
upon the all-sufficient arm of God, who will support us through life 
with tender care, and when it seemeth meet, enable us to resign our 
bodies to their native dust with firmness, in the confidence of our 
soul, divested of its cumbrous load, winging its flight with joy to the 
regions of eternal glory. Let not the supposition of a long life, aris- 
ing from a present good state of health, make you forgetful of the 
duties you owe to God and to one another, under the idea that there 
will be time enough allowed you to prepare for the awful change. 
Life is extremely uncertain : though from strength of constitution 
some individuals may not be so liable to illness, they may be hurried 
off by accidents ; and no man, however strong, is secure from conta- 
gion. But a much more powerful motive than fear should excite us 
so to act, that our deeds shall always find favour with the Almighty ; 
the pleasure arising from good actions, which is a constant reward 
and source of pure delight to the virtuous, the sensations of which 
are unknown to the wicked, who exchange the only true enjoyment 
we are capable of, for false and fleeting pleasures, whose consequences 
are sorrow, disease, and death. 



FEBRUARY XL 

FORMATION OF ICE. 

When water is exposed to the influence of cold air, it gradually 
loses its fluidity, and becomes a solid body, which we call ice. This 
change, which at this season of the year comes so frequently under 
our notice, is well deserving of attention. Ice is of less specific 
gravity than water ; for if we put a vessel containing water, the 
surface of which is frozen over, into a temperate heat, the ice soon 
detaches itself from the sides of the vessel, and floats on the top of 
the water. One cause of its lightness is the increase of volume ; 
for although the general law of cold is to contract, in this instance, 
at the time of congelation, such an expansion takes place, that ves- 
sels are frequently broken by the power of the dilatation, the violence 
of which is sufficient to cleave a globe of copper of such thickness 
as to require a force of 28,000 pounds weight to produce a similar 
effect. 

When the ice first shoots in crystals over the surface of the water 
it is transparent, but as it increases in thickness becomes opaque, 
which is owing to the air contained in the ice occasioning a more fre- 
quent refraction of the rays of light. Exhalations continually arise 
from the ice, even during the greatest cold. It is found from experi- 
ments that, during the most intense cold, four pounds of ice lose one 
pound weight by evaporation in the space of eighteen days. 

The manner in which ice begins to form is very curious ; when it 

H 



58 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

slightly freezes, a number of needle-shaped crystals shoot in all direc- 
tions from the inner circumference of the vessel, making numerous 
angles, and uniting together, form upon the surface of the water a 
very thin pellicle of ice ; to these succeed more, which multiply and 
enlarge in form of plates, and being increased in number and thick- 
ness unite to the first pellicle. As the ice thickens, a multitude of 
air bubbles are seen, and the greater the degree of cold, the more 
these increase. When it freezes very strongly, a thin crust is formed, 
which shoots from the circumference to the centre ;, under this others 
are seen of a triangular shape, with the base parallel to the sides of 
the vessel, and these soon increase so much that a very thick mass of 
ice is formed. 

By frequently reflecting upon these phenomena, we shall be more 
and more convinced of the beauty of nature, and of the harmony 
and regularity that pervade her minutest productions, all tending to 
fulfil the views of a just and wise God ; and though we have not the 
satisfactory consolation of knowing the full extent of those views, 
the little we are permitted to understand of them is enough to excite 
in us the desire of adoring the all- wise Creator, and celebrating his 
power, whilst we magnify his holy name. 



FEBRUARY XII. 

SFHERICAL FIGURE OF THE EARTH. 

It was once generally supposed that the earth is a vast plain : but 
were this the case, its external boundaries might be arrived at, and in 
approaching any place we could not discover the tops of towers and 
mountains till we had seen their bases. The earth is incontestably 
proved to be a globe, though not exactly spherical, for it is rather more 
elevated under the line, and flattened towards the poles, something 
resembling the figure of an orange. But this deviation from a true 
sphere is very slight; about fifty miles, a difference scarcely percep- 
tible in a globe whose circumference is 25,020 miles, and diameter 
7964. The rotundity of the earth is demonstrable from its shadow 
in eclipses of the moon being always bounded by a circular line, and 
by its having been frequently circumnavigated ; besides, if it was not 
spherical, how would the stars appear to rise and to set sooner to the 
countries eastward than to those more to the west. 

Here we have fresh cause to admire the wisdom of the Creator, 
who has organized this earth with the greatest perfection, with a form 
so well adapted for the benefit of the inhabitants. Light and heat, 
which are so necessary to the creation, are by this means distributed 
with, uniformity, and in a more equable degree throughout the earth. 
It is from this that the due return of day and night is ensured, and 
that the degrees of heat and of cold, of moisture and of dryness, are 
rendered so regular and constant. The water is equally distributed 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 50 

over the earth, and the winds every where cause their salutary influ- 
ence to be felt. Had the earth any other figure, we should be de- 
prived of all these advantages : some countries would be like a para- 
dise, whilst others would be in a state of chaos ; one part would be 
buried by the waters, and another parched by the fervour of the sun. 
Some countries would be exposed to furious tempests, which would 
devastate and destroy them ; whilst others would be exhausted for 
want of fresh currents of air. One part of the world would be con- 
demned to endure a perpetual heat, and another would be entirely 
deprived of the sun's rays. 

If we did not here acknowledge the all-powerful hand of a wise 
and beneficent Creator, we must be guilty of the greatest pride and 
most consummate ignorance ! Should we deserve to be the inhabi- 
tants of an earth so admirably arranged and exquisitely fashioned, 
if, upon seeing its beauties and matchless order, and enjoying a thou- 
sand blessings, we denied the existence of an all-creative Power, or 
were wanting in acknowledgments for his mercy and goodness ? May 
we never be guilty of such base ingratitude ; but, filled with senti- 
ments of awe and sublimity at the sight of God's wonderful works, 
may we elevate our thoughts to Heaven, and fixing our minds upon 
the Divine Power, humbly adore his wisdom and goodness. 



FEBRUARY XIII. 

SHORT DURATION OF SNOW- 

We see the instability of the snow, and the rapidity with which ir 
disappears when played upon by the sun-beams, or exposed to the 
effects of a humid mild air, and frequent showers. Frequently the 
whole aspect of nature, in a few hours, assumes a new appearance, 
and scarcely a trace of snow is left behind. By these sudden changes 
we may justly be reminded of the inconstancy and vanity of all hu- 
man affairs. Every season, and every variation that their succession 
induces, declares to us with a loud and impressive voice, that all is 
uncertain, all vain, and of short duration. If we look around us 
through the vast field of nature, shall we find any thing which is not 
fragile and perishable % How soon are we bereft of the pleasures of 
sense ; scarcely do we begin to enjoy them when they elude our eager 
grasp ! Often when the sun first gilds the earth, we are light, easy, 
gay, and content, smiling with comfort and plenty ; but ere night has 
drawn her sable curtain, our pleasure is fled, our enjoyment ceased, 
and grief weighs heavy on our aching heart. Where exists the indi- 
vidual who, at some period or other, has not cruelly felt the uncer- 
tainty and short duration of terrestrial joys, and who has not known 
the pangs of disappointed hope % What is more inconstant than the 
favours of fortune, or more uncertain than the continuance of life and 
the blessings of health 1 Yet whilst we are in possession of these 



60 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

benefits, such reflections seldom or never occur ; like those who, 
tempted by the beauty of some winter's morn, sally out unprepared 
for the storm, which at that season they ought to expect. Whilst 
fortune smiles, and we live in a round of gayety and pleasure, we 
laugh at all fears of their ever failing, and despise all thoughts of 
preparing for an evil day. But fleeting as the snow beneath the sun- 
beams, are all the enjoyments and gratifications which do not arise 
from the influence of religion, the exercise of the mind, and the feel- 
ings of the heart ; cultivate these, and you will be enabled to enjoy 
a portion of that felicity which endureth for ever — the sure reward 
of virtue and a well-spent life. 



FEBRUARY XIV. 

THE CREATION. 

The time was when this earth, the heavens and their revolving 
suns, existed not : God ordained their being, and at his almighty will 
they arose. Before that period the whole was one huge and shape- 
less mass, where confusion ruled and chaos held her empire ; the 
earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of 
the deep. On the first day of the creation the spirit of God moved 
upon the face of this rude and formless heap, which now felt a motion 
penetrate deep as the centre, from above, and beneath, and all around. 
He said, Let there be light, and there was light, and God called the 
light day, and the darkness he called night. Hitherto the waters and 
the earth were confounded together, undistinguished from each other. 
God separated them, and said, Let there be a firmament in the midst 
of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And 
God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were above 
the firmament, and it was so : and God called the firmament heaven : 
and the evening and the morning were the second day. The waters 
still covered the face of the earth, when on the third day God said, 
Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, 
and let the dry land appear ; let the earth bring forth grass, the herb 
yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind : and it 
was so. On the fourth day God said, Let there be lights in the fir- 
mament of heaven to divide the day from the night ; and let them 
be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years : and it was 
so. The sun appeared as the greater light to rule the day, and the 
moon, with inferior splendour, to rule the night : the stars also were 
then created. On the fifth day God said, Let the waters bring forth 
abundantly the moving creature that hath life ; and immediately the 
whales rolled in the ocean, and the seas teemed with life : and the 
winged fowl he gave to possess the air. And God blessed them, say- 
ing, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas ; and let 
fowls multiply in the earth. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 61 

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creatures after 
his kind, cattle and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his 
kind : and it was so. Every thing was now prepared ; and God 
created man, to whom he gave dominion over the fish of the sea, and 
over the fowls of the air, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and 
over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For this pur- 
pose he created him in his own image, after his own likeness, and 
endued with a rational soul. As a companion to man he created 
woman, with equal gifts and equal rule : to them both he gave do- 
minion over the earth and all created things, and with them he rested 
from all the works which he had made. 

Can any one reflect upon this sublime history without being asto- 
nished at the power, the intelligence, and infinite wisdom manifested 
in the works of the creation ? Or can any one peruse it without 
pausing awhile to admire the grandeur of the objects and the sub- 
limity of the design ? Wherever we cast our view we see the proofs 
of a Divinity, whose glory the heavens declare, whose power unli- 
mited their extent gives to know. It is only by being led from the 
sight of the objects of the creation to a contemplation of the Divinity, 
of his attributes, and of our own real condition, that we derive any 
true benefits from their presence, or even that we deserve to be inha- 
bitants of this fair universe. But we cannot acknowledge the great- 
ness and the glory of God in the, works of the creation, without our 
souls being enlarged, and our hearts penetrated with love and grati- 
tude for the Divine Author. If this truth were universally felt, we 
should have little need of coercion to deter men from vice, or of lec- 
tures to excite them to virtue. Let those whose feelings are not yet 
callous, walk abroad and contemplate nature, where they will find 
objects sufficient to arrest their attention, to excite their utmost admi- 
ration, and to call forth their charity and their love. Here is the 
source of every thing that is sublime, beautiful, and enrapturing; 
and here is ever to be found the Almighty God, who alone is worthy 
of our homage, our praise, and our adoration. 



FEBRUARY XV. 

OF BRUTES. 

When we attentively examine the bodies of different animals, we 
discover many advantages which they possess over man. Many of 
them have bodies much stronger and more compact than those of the 
human species. Most of them at their first entrance into the world 
are capable of using all their limbs, of seeking for their food, and of 
following the instinct imparted to them by nature ; and are not liable 
to the cruel sufferings which we experience in our infancy, and which 
so often injure our constitution. And what an admirable instinct and 
sagacity they display ! What address and skill they exert in the use 

6 



62 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

of their senses ! How exquisite is their sense of smell ! How piercing 
their sight ! How rapid, how nimble, how active all their movements ! 
How they speed and fly along ! And if we consider the wonderful 
structure of some of their organs, the noble and majestic figure of 
some animals, we shall find, with respect to bodily perfections, we 
often yield to, or scarcely equal, many of the brute creation. 

Some people are so weak as to complain that God has not given 
them the wings of the eagle, the force and speed of the fiery courser, 
the subtle smell of the dog, the eye of the hawk, and the agility of 
the stag. But such desires are the offspring of ignorance, of folly, 
and of presumption ; of men, who do not feel that they possess a soul 
w T hich enables them to soar far above these animals, and to make all 
their powers serve the convenience of man. Without mind we should 
indeed be inferior to brutes, which so far excel us in bodily powers ; 
but they enjoy these advantages to enable them to live in the state 
allotted them without the reasoning faculty : for miserable indeed 
would have been their lot, did they not possess their present advan- 
tages ; or were they possessed of reason, in a state of slavery, living 
only to be butchered, or to perpetually toil for the benefit of man. 

We have here renewed cause to admire the wisdom and mercy of 
Providence, who has thus formed the brute creation. We see his 
wisdom in having given them instinct, sagacity, and strength, in a 
certain degree, proportionate to their necessities ; and made all sub- 
servient to man : and his mercy is manifest in their entire ignorance 
of their situation. They possess all the pleasures they are capable of 
enjoying, but they cannot anticipate evil, nor think beyond the pre- 
sent moment : formed for this life only, they cannot in thought pene- 
trate unknown regions, nor feel any pleasure but from the senses ; 
whilst the mind of man finding nothing in this state of existence 
worthy to rest upon, reposes in confidence upon the certainty of a 
future state, where all its powers will shine with unclouded lustre. 



FEBRUARY XVI. 

OP THE MOON- 

Of all the heavenly bodies, next to the sun, the moon has the most 
salutary influence upon our earth ; and though her grandeur and 
beauty did not mark her as an object highly worthy of our attention, 
she would yet be so from the very great benefit she produces. With 
the naked eye we can discover several phenomena in the moon ; we 
find she is an opaque body, with her luminous part always opposed to 
the sun, shining only by reflecting the sun's light ; hence it follows 
that that side which is next the sun is enlightened, whilst the other 
half must be dark and invisible : when exactly opposite the sun she 
appears with a round illumined orb, which we call the full moon. 
By her continual changes we know that she shines with a borrowed 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 63 

light ; for if the light was her own, being globular, we should always 
see her with a full round orb like the sun. She turns round the earth 
once in twenty-four hours, and finishes her complete revolution in 
about twenty-nine days and a half. But what we can observe by 
the naked eye is far short of what we discover by the aid of tele- 
scopes, and ascertain by nice calculations. How great are our obli- 
gations to those enlightened men who have extended the limits of 
our knowledge by researches and discoveries, which enable us to 
form more distinct and certain notions of the heavenly bodies ! By 
means of their profound investigations we now know that the moon, 
apparently so small, is but thirteen times less than this earth ; its di- 
ameter is 2180 miles, and its distance from the earth's centre 240,000. 
Upon the face of the moon several spots are discovered visible even to 
the naked eye. Some of these are pale and obscure, others more 
luminous, as they reflect more or less light. The luminous spots are 
high mountains, which reflect the sun's light from their lofty sum- 
mits ; and the dark spots are the transparent fluid bodies of seas, 
which from their nature absorb most of the rays of light, and reflect 
very few.* These discoveries, to which we can oppose no well- 
grounded objection, inform us, that the moon is a body much more 
considerable and of greater consequence than ignorant people have 
imagined. The magnitude, the distance, and all that we have 
hitherto discovered respecting this planet, afford us fresh proofs of the 
almighty power of the Creator. But can this vast body have no 
other use and destination than to illumine this earth during the night % 
Can this body, which in many respects resembles our world, and ap- 
pears calculated to perform the same ends, and to which this earth 
itself serves as a moon, be created merely to produce the ebbing and 
flowing of the sea, and some other of the advantages we derive from 
it ? Can it be supposed that the surface of a body some hundreds of 
thousands of square miles in extent should be destitute of living crea- 
tures ] Would the Infinite Being have left this immense space empty 
and desert I We cannot reconcile such a supposition with the wisdom 
and goodness of God ; let us rather suppose that he has established 
his empire in the moon as well as in our world, and that he receives 
aspirations of gratitude from millions of creatures who adore the 
same G-od, the same Father and Saviour, as do the inhabitants of this 
earth, and for the happiness of whom God has the same cares and 
solicitude as for us. 

But as our knowledge upon this great and interesting subject must 

* As this opinion is regarded by some to be erroneous, it may be instructive to quote 
that of Mr. Ferguson, who says, ' Those dark parts of the moon, which were formerly 
thought to be seas, are now found to be only vast deep cavities and places which reflect 
not the sun's light so strongly as others, having many caverns and pits whose shadows 
fall within them, and are always dark on the side next the sun ; which demonstrates 
their being hollow : and most of these pits have little knobs like hillocks standing within 
them, and casting shadows also, which cause these places to appear darker than others 
which have fewer or less remarkable caverns. All these appearances show that there 
are no seas in the moon ; for if there were, their surfaces would appear smooth and 
even, like those on the earth.' — E. 



64 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

necessarily be limited, at present let us be grateful for the certain and 
known benefits we receive from the moon, in which the tender cares 
of Providence for man are evidently manifest. The moon is so near 
to us that we receive from her more light than from all the fixed 
stars together : by this means we have a noble and sublime object to 
contemplate, and receive incalculable advantages from its presence ; 
since by its light we enjoy a continued day, and are enabled to travel 
in safety and with pleasure, as well as pursue many necessary occu- 
pations. By its means we can also exactly measure time, and 
through the medium of the almanack the vulgar are benefited by the 
abstr user studies of the philosopher. Lord Omnipotent ! I adore thy 
wisdom and goodness in the light of the moon as in that of the sun. 
As I contemplate the heavens which thou hast formed, thy grandeur 
fills me with admiration and astonishment. May I, O Lord I lift up 
the eyes of', my understanding to thee, far above all terrestrial ob- 
jects ! To thee who hast created all these magnificent globes, and 
wisely arranged them for our benefits. The starry heavens, which 
illumine the winter nights, announce thy majesty, and attest the infi- 
nity of thy empire ! 



FEBRUARY XVII. 

RAIN FERTILIZES THE. EARTH. 

The fertility of the earth chiefly depends upon the moisture which 
it receives from rain and aqueous vapours. If the irrigation of the 
earth depended upon the care and labour of man, his toil would be 
unceasing ; and with all his exertions he could not prevent the deso- 
lating effects of dryness and famine. Men might assemble and unite 
all their forces, they might exhaust their rivers and their fountains* 
without being able to supply the creation with a sufficiency of mois- 
ture to prevent the plants and vegetables drooping and perishing for 
the want of water. Hence we see how necessary it is that the ex- 
halations and vapours should be collected and retained in the clouds* 
which, by the aid of winds, shower down fertility upon the ground, 
by refreshing and renewing the vigour of plants, trees and vegeta- 
bles. The treasures so exuberantly teeming on the earth's surface 
are richer than the gems of Golconda or the mines of Peru ; for we 
can live without gold and without silver, but without herbs and grain 
we could not exist. The advantages of rain are incalculable ; it 
entirely renovates the face of the earth, and the furrows of the field 
eagerly drink the descending waters. The seeds deveiope their 
beauties, and the labours of the husbandman are rewarded. The 
farmer works, sows, plants, and God gives the increase. Man does 
all that depends upon his exertions, and what he cannot effect God 
executes ; in winter he covers the seeds with a protecting mantle, 
and in summer warms and vivifies them by the sun's rays, and adds 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 65 

to their nourishment by rain. He crowns the year with his benefits, 
and causes his blessings so to succeed each other, that men are not 
only nourished and supported, but their hearts overflow with joy and 
gayety. 

The showers fall upon the pastures of the wilderness, and the little 
hills rejoice on every side. The fields are white with flocks, the val- 
leys are covered with corn ; they shout for joy, they also sing. Bless 
then and rejoice in your Creator ; by his order the seasons are renew- 
ed, and succeed one another with beauteous regularity. For us the 
rains descend, and the earth is clothed with fertility and verdure. 
God opens his liberal hand, and showers down blessings upon man ; 
our countries receive them, and joy and gladness fill the earth. Let 
us then adore the Creator, and sing songs of joy and of praise to his 
honour and glory for ever and ever. 



FEBRUARY XVIII. 

OP THE SHORTNESS AND UNCERTAINTY OP LIFE. 

We require frequent warnings to induce us to reflect on the short- 
ness and uncertainty of life. Such remembrances are highly useful : 
for we have naturally a strong inclination to drive from our minds all 
ideas of death ; and if that was not the case, there are always a 
thousand cares, and innumerable species of dissipation, which divert 
us from thinking upon our end, or which render such thoughts of 
little efficacy. It is, however, necessary often to reflect upon this 
state, which one day or other must arrive ; and by frequently and 
duly contemplating it, we shall meet its approaches with firmness, 
and not sink overcome by fear. In this season of the year many 
images of death daily present themselves before our eyes. Nature, 
every where deprived of those beauties and fascinating charms which 
in summer delighted our view and filled our souls with pleasure ; the 
fields, and the gardens, where we have so often walked with delight, 
and inhaled the gentle breezes that wafted over a thousand fragrant 
flowers, conveyed the sweetest perfumes and balmy airs, where every 
sense was joy, are now deserted, wild, desolate, and forlorn ; nought 
is seen around but one wide waste of bleak sterility, where no ver- 
dure delights, no variety charms, and night usurps the day. 

Perhaps this may be a just representation of some now flourishing 
in the pride of youth and the full vigour of intellect and gayety or 
heart ; when old age shall weigh heavy upon them, and all their 
former vigour, cheerfulness, and alacrity shall have ceased ; when the 
infirmities peculiar to that state, and a temper soured by vexation and 
disappointment, will no longer bear the amusements and pleasing 
society they formerly delighted in ; and when they no longer possess 
attractions to render them agreeable or even supportable companions. 
The tedious and gloomy days of such an old age will be a burden, 



66 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

from the oppression of which every rational being will long to be 
relieved. Though the days of winter are so short we have no reason 
to complain, since there are so few attractions to induce us to walk 
abroad in this season ; neither should we regret that the period of 
life is of short duration, but rather consider it as a blessing, since its 
way is often strewed with thorns and beset with evils ; and many 
have to drink of the cup of misery even to the dregs. 

Many animals pass the winter in a profound sleep, from which they 
do not begin to awaken till they feel the mild and reanimating heat 
of the sun communicate vitality to their system. The long night of 
winter steals upon us unexpectedly in the midst of our occupations, 
and interrupts our labours ; and here we may perceive a lively image 
of the night of death, which often arrives when least expected, and 
when least wished for. In the midst of a thousand projects and 
schemes of future felicity and of future grandeur, when perhaps on 
the eve of some great and important transaction, the cold hand of 
death presses on our eye-lids, and they are for ever sealed with dark- 
ness : when this solemn period shall arrive, may the thoughts and the 
actions which we are at that instant engaged in, bear the torch* of 
truth to be applied : and may we not shrink from the trial ! Thus 
we may continually derive the most useful and beneficial reflections 
from the changes effected by winter ; and let us not fear often to con- 
template those images of death, from which we may gain many 
essential advantages. Let us make ourselves familiar with the idea 
of our latter end, and let it in every situation of life come home to 
our hearts : we shall then be able to receive the awful messenger 
without dread ; it will be a consolation to us in misfortune, a friend 
and faithful counsellor in prosperity, and a shield against every temp- 
tation. 



FEBRUARY XIX. 

PRINCIPLE OF COMBUSTION GENERALLY DIFFUSED THROUGHOUT 

NATURE. 

During the long nights of winter, when the cold is intense, fire is 
a benefit which we cannot too highly prize or gratefully acknowledge. 
How comfortless and miserable we should be if combustible matters 
were not abundantly diffused through nature ! They are contained 
in sulphur, in animal fat, in oils, in wax, in vegetables, in bitumens, 
&c. And though these substances appear inactive, no sooner are 
they ignited than they evince abundant activity and motion. Igni- 
tion may be performed by the collision of bodies having proper access 
to the air ; thus with a flint and steel striking against each other, 
sparks are produced ; and this is the ordinary way in which the fire 
we use for domestic purposes is obtained. But we are satisfied with 
enjoying the continual services that this element performs, without 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 67 

troubling ourselves to inquire how it is produced. If we were more 
attentive to the causes of certain natural phenomena, we should 
every where find proofs of infinite wisdom and goodness. With the 
most beneficial views God has diffused throughout nature the prin- 
ciple of combustion in such a variety of substances, that we can con- 
vert it to all kinds of uses, and enjoy its useful power upon every 
occasion. Happy should we be if we only accustomed ourselves to 
pay more attention to the benefits we daily receive from the bountiful 
hand of God I But I fear it is their constant occurrence which ren- 
ders us callous and indifferent to such high marks of Divine favour. 
And yet the proofs that we daily receive of the goodness of God are 
those which we can least of all pass by ; they are such as most pecu- 
liarly deserve to be acknowledged with joy and unceasing gratitude. 
Let us then often reflect upon our wise and merciful Creator, and 
whilst we rejoice in his blessings, let us not forget the source from 
whence they flow, nor cease to remember that by again dispensing 
to less fortunate beings those benefits the goodness of God has enabled 
us to obtain, we most effectually render our gratitude acceptable to 
the Lord. 



FEBRUARY XX. 

EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE SEASONS. 

Though the rays of the sun now fall obliquely upon our part of the 
earth, and all our fields are under the influence of freezing winds, 
there are countries which enjoy all the youth of spring ; others, 
where the rich harvest repays the toiling husbandman ; and others, 
where the autumnal fruits luxuriate. So equally has Divine Wisdom 
regulated the revolutions of the seasons, and distributed to all his 
creation, at different seasons, the same blessings. His heavenly love 
is extended alike to all the beings which he has created, without 
regard to any particular country or people ; it is sufficient for him 
that they require his assistance. The rays of his goodness shine upon 
the deserts of Arabia, as well as on the smiling plains of Europe ; 
and either pole confesses his Divine regard. But if God has so equally 
distributed the blessings of this life, some will be ready to ask why 
certain countries are deprived of the charms of spring, whilst others 
are so abundantly favoured'? Why the sun's rays are diffused so 
partially, that in some climates the nights as well as days continue for 
months ; and why, towards the poles, the countries covered with ice 
are not as beautiful and fertile as our plains and valleys ? But who 
are you that presume to ask such questions % What right have you 
to call on the Infinite God to account for. the manner in which he 
regulates the world 1 Ye proud and presumptuous men, learn humi- 
lity, and acknowledge the traces of supreme wisdom in those things 
which your want of intelligence makes appear a fault. Perhaps you 



68 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

imagine that Providence has refused to certain parts of the earth the 
advantages and the enjoyments which are lavished, with a profuse 
hand, upon other more favoured climes. Such a supposition may 
accord with the confined views which some people take of nature ; 
but they who are in the habit of grasping at a whole, and not rest- 
ing content with a partial view of things, perceive and know that 
God has given to each country all that is requisite for the life, sup- 
port, and happiness of its inhabitants. Every thing is arranged in 
the climate where they live according to their wants, and in a man- 
ner the best calculated for their preservation. 

The length of the day varies in different parts of the globe accord- 
ing to certain rules ; there is scarcely an inhabited country which 
the sun favours with his presence longer than another, only the times 
in which he is visible are different. The inhabitants of the torrid 
zone enjoy days and nights of an equal length, whilst those of the 
contiguous zones have this equality only twice in the year. Though 
the sun, by his annual course, gives winter to one country whilst an- 
other enjoys summer, he never fails to return again to impart his 
blessings ; and if, during our winter, the days are not so long as the 
nights, the summer amply compensates for the difference : and 
though the inhabitants of the frigid zone are deprived of the sun's 
light for several months, they afterward enjoy it for months together ; 
vegetation is rapid ; and in the absence of the sun they enjoy a long 
twilight. 

Where then is the country which does not receive the marks of 
Divine love ? or the region in which the traces of a merciful Creator 
may not be discovered 1 Where is the being which does not experi- 
ence the goodness of God in every season ? or which does not rejoice 
to live under his dominion ; and whose heart does not overflow with 
joy and gratitude for the numberless blessings shed abroad on the face 
of the earth 1 May we more and more feel our minds enlarged and 
our hearts warmed with that pure and heavenly love which the all- 
bounteous God of nature has for the works of his creation ! May 
this happy feeling be the portion of every individual ! And may we 
ever be found amongst the number of those who endeavour to know 
the Almighty, by imitating, to the utmost of their ability, in love, 
in virtue, and in true charity, the example of Him, whose sun shines 
upon the poor as well as on the rich — on the guilty as upon the in- 
nocent ! 



FEBRUARY XXI. 

UTILITY OF OUR SENSES CONSIDERED. 

Man is possessed of senses, through the medium of which he may 
acquire information and ideas of surrounding objects. Our eyes 
enable us to perceive different objects by the rays of light being re- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 69 

fleeted from them : by this means also we become acquainted with 
the difference of colours ; by our ears we know the different sounds 
which vibrate on the air ; by the senses of taste and smell different 
odours and properties of bodies become known to us ; and by the 
sense of feeling we receive the sensations of hot and cold, of wet 
and dry, of hard and soft, &c. How miserable should we be if de- 
prived of these senses ! If bereft of sight, how should we be pre- 
served from the dangers which surround us, or be able to provide for 
our support 1 We should no longer derive pleasure and improvement 
from contemplating the grand spectacle of the heavens, the beauties 
of the country, or the great objects of nature ; and the delight we 
receive from the presence of our fellow-creatures, particularly of 
those whose mind-illumined face displays the culture of their souls, 
would cease. Without the sense of hearing we could not enjoy the 
reciprocal communication of thought ; nor be wrapt into oblivion of 
care by the soothing sounds of plaintive melody, or excited to joy 
and to pleasure by more jocund strains. Without taste and smell we 
should be deprived of a thousand agreeable sensations, and should be 
subject to numerous inconveniencies ; and without the sense of feel- 
ing we should be rendered incapable of arriving at any degree of per- 
fection in the arts, or of providing for our necessities. We cannot 
then too much rejoice and bless God that we are enabled to see, hear, 
feel, and speak. 

Let us then adore our Creator, and acknowledge and celebrate his 
goodness: let us offer up songs of joy and hymns of glory and of 
thanksgiving to the immortal God, and let our ears attentively listen 
to the harmonious voice of myriads chanting his praise. May we 
never despise or abuse the value of our senses, which have all been 
given us for the noblest purposes ! How we should dishonour the 
liberal bounty of Heaven and the admirable structure of our body, 
if we only employed our senses in the pursuit of vain pleasures, or in 
the gratification of sensuality ! Wretched and contemptible indeed is 
the man who has no higher delight, no more exalted feelings, than in 
sensual enjoyment ; who is unacquainted with the exhaustless trea- 
sures of a cultivated mind ! 

The period will arrive when the pleasures of sense must cease, 
when the eye can no longer be gratified with the views of nature, 
the ear no longer receive the soft sounds of the flute, nor the taste be 
susceptible of its accustomed sensations. The time will arrive when 
all outward objects will no more interest or make any impression on 
the senses. How miserable then will be the lot of those who have 
basked in the sun during their youth, given themselves up to eveiy 
species of sensual gratification, and neglected to prepare, by culti- 
vating their minds, for the evil day, when their feeble and emaciated 
bodies are sinking beneath a load of infirmities, and when they will 
have nothing to rouse their mental energies, which have long since 
been annihilated, nothing to cheer and encourage their drooping spir- 
its, nor any thing to satisfy their impotent desires. May we ever be 
enabled, through Divine favour, to make a proper use of our senses, 



70 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

and never lose sight of the great end for which we were created ! 
Let us commiserate the condition of those unfortunate beings who 
are defective in their senses, and do all in our power to render their 
existence easy and comfortable ; and by such conduct we shall best 
show our gratitude for the superior perfection we are blessed with. 



FEBRUARY XXII. 

THE SOUL BECOMES ELEVATED BY REFLECTING UPON GOD. 

When we give up our hearts to God, we begin to answer the end for 
which we were created, and enjoy a portion of that felicity which is 
reserved for the blessed in Heaven. How contemptible and insignifi- 
cant are all the amusements of the world, when our hearts have been 
rejoiced and ameliorated, and our minds expanded by reflecting upon 
God and Christ Jesus ! When I compare my imperfections and in- 
ability with the infinite majesty of God, how little and humble I ap- 
pear ; how my pride is lost and confounded in the infinity of Divine 
Perfection ! and how I long for the glorious period when I shall be 
more nearly acquainted with the everlasting God ! But am I suffi- 
ciently impressed with the inestimable advantages which the frequent 
reflection upon God will produce, in order to give me firmness to 
employ myself in such a pleasing duty as often as I am required ] 
Alas ! instead of filling my mind with this great and sublime object, 
my thoughts too often ramble upon trivial and perishable subjects : 
instead of fixing my desires upon the meditation of Divine Wisdom ; 
instead of loving and cherishing the bright essence and power of this 
Eternal Being, which unites every thing that is good, great, and 
amiable, and alone can make me happy ; I perhaps feel no pleasure, 
but in the gratification of my senses ; my affections are placed on ter- 
restrial objects, and I only love things which are perishable, and 
which cannot contribute to my happiness. May my past experience 
render me more wise in future ! Till now, I have only loved and set 
my heart upon temporal things, which are still more uncertain and 
perishable than myself. 

But at present, through the grace of God, my eyes are opened ; I 
perceive a Being which has raised me up out of nothing, which has 
given me a soul whose desires cannot rest short of eternity — a Being 
in whom every perfection and virtue are united, and to whom I will 
consecrate my heart, and devote myself for ever without reserve, and 
from whom I will ever receive all my consolation and delight. I will 
exchange those earthly enjoyments, which I have hitherto preferred 
to the blessings of Heaven, for advantages incomparably more real 
and permanently substantial. And though I still continue to make 
a proper use of the good things of this life, they shall never make me 
forget the love of God ; but whilst I use them, and whilst I feel my- 
self benefited by their good effects, when not abused, they shall serve 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 71 

as a constant memorial of the goodness of God, and call forth my 
acknowledgments and grateful sense of his kind care and solicitude 
for my welfare. Whenever I partake of any outward good, I will 
say to myself, if I find so much sweetness in the enjoyment of earthly 
things, and being only acquainted with a very small part of the works 
of God, that knowledge is so delightful, how happy and glorious will 
be my state when initiated into the mysteries of Heaven, and fa- 
voured with a portion of the purity and perfection of God ! How 
great is the felicity of the saints, who see him as he is, and live in 
the constant participation of his divine communion. 

If those pleasures which can only be enjoyed through the medium 
of a frail and perishing body have the power of so agreeably affect- 
ing my mind, what must be its delight and ecstacy when, divested of 
all its fetters and impediments, it has winged its flight to the regions 
of bliss, and uninterruptedly enjoys the pleasure arising from its own 
workings ; never wearied with thinking, nor injured by incessant 
action ; but ever employed upon the sublimest images in the presence 
of the immortal God ! If the gentle rivulets that so beautifully irri- 
gate the earth are so pleasing, if a ray of light is so vivifying, how 
admirable must be the great Source and First Cause of the torrent of 
the rivers, the Living Fountain of all joy and excellence ! how glori- 
ously pre-eminent the Author of the blessed sun, the rays of which 
only have such great power ! 

From what we already know of God through his works, w T e may 
form some anticipation of the glory of futurity, and prepare with joy 
and with gladness for the happy moment, when the soul, released 
from its present dark and inferior abode, shall ascend into the heavens, 
and enjoy that purity and exaltation, the reward of those who, by the 
proper use they have made of their time here, are permitted to join 
the heavenly choir of angels in songs of ecstacy round the throne of 
the everlasting God. 



FEBRUARY XXIII. 

CAUSES OF THE VICISSITUDES OF HEAT AND COLD. 

.What occasions the transition from extreme heat to intense cold ] 
By what means does nature effect these vicissitudes ? It is certain 
that in winter the state of temperature principally depends upon the 
sun ; for when our globe in its annual course round that luminary is 
so situated that its northern hemisphere is turned away from the sun, 
when the rays fall obliquely upon the earth's surface, and when the 
sun remains Only a few hours above our horizon, it is impossible that 
its rays can be so powerful as when they fall more perpendicularly. 
But the heat does not entirely depend upon the distance and situation 
of the sun, which annually passes through the same constellations, 
and is not more distant in one winter than in another, yet the degree 



72 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

of cold varies very much in different winters. Sometimes a great 
part of the winter is as mild as autumn, whilst in another the deepest 
rivers are frozen, and men and animals are scarcely preserved from 
the effects of the cold. Even in those countries where the days and 
nights, during most part of the year, are of an equal length, the heat 
of the sun is too feeble to melt the ice and the snow on the summit 
of the mountains. On their heights reigns an eternal winter, whilst 
at their base verdure nourishes and summer smiles ; yet the rays of 
the sun fall upon their ridge as well as in the valleys. From these 
circumstances it would seem as if the sun was not the only cause of 
heat, otherwise these phenomena would be inexplicable. 

Nature is rich in resources, and a thousand causes of which we are 
ignorant may assist her operations. We know that the winds and 
the atmosphere have a great influence upon the heat and cold of a 
country. Hence it sometimes happens, that in the midst of summer, 
when the atmosphere is charged with vapours, the heavens are ob- 
scured by thick clouds, and the north wind blows, that great cold is 
felt ; and, on the contrary in winter, when the wind is from the south, 
the temperature is often much milder. The peculiar nature of the 
soil may have some effect ; and the winds blowing over the ocean 
acquire a higher temperature, which they impart to the earth as they 
sweep over its surface. 

These causes, and, perhaps, many others we do not yet know, 
influence the temperature of the air, and produce the sudden alterna- 
tions of heat and cold. In most of our investigations of nature we 
are obliged to stop short of the truth ; and the most able philosophers 
have not been ashamed to confess how little they knew of her laws. 
We can comprehend but a very small part of her operations, and no 
doubt it is from the wisest reasons the Creator has concealed from 
our penetration the causes of so many effects which we view with 
wonder throughout the kingdom of Nature ; but we know enough of 
them to be happy, wise, and content : let us endeavour to use, with 
propriety, the little knowledge we are permitted to acquire, and con- 
vert it to the advantage of our fellow-creatures, and the glory of God ; 
for surely he did not give us our faculties to be buried in sloth and 
indolence, nor to be employed in trifling pursuits, or to become obli- 
terated or perverted for want of cultivation and exertion. 



FEBRUARY XXIV. 

SINGULARITIES IN THE MINERAL KINGDOM. 

From the limited nature of our understanding, it would be difficult, 
if not impossible, for us to comprehend, at once, the whole kingdom 
of nature, and to know and distinguish all the properties and qualities 
of her productions. We shall be facilitated in our search, and assisted 
in our inquiry, into nature, if we begin by the consideration of some 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 73 

simple and detached objects, whose beauties will engage our attention, 
and whose peculiar phenomena will solicit our regard. At present, 
then, I shall consider some curiosities met with in the mineral king- 
dom, amongst which none are more remarkable than the magnet. 
When suspended, one of its extremities points to the north, the other 
to the south ; these are called its poles, and they seem to contain the 
magnetic principle in greater abundance than the other parts. It 
does not appear to attract any other substance than iron, or the ores of 
iron: if you place the north pole of one magnet opposite the south 
pole of another, they will be mutually attracted ; but if their similar 
poles, whether the two north or the two south poles, are placed to- 
gether, they repel each other,* 

Mercury offers to our consideration properties equally remarkable, and 
more useful. It is distinguished from all other metals by its fluidity, 
but it becomes solid when exposed to a sufficient degree of cold. In 
a heat of 600° it boils, and may be totally evaporated ; exposed to the 
air and agitated, it attracts a portion of oxygen, and is converted into 
a powder called oxide, which is black, yellow, and red, according as 
the oxygen is in greater or less proportion. By the application of 
heat the oxygen may be extricated from the oxide, and the mercury 
again assume its original form. 

Gold is the most precious and valuable of all metals, not only by 
its scarcity, but from its admirable properties. No other substance 
equals it in ductility and malleability. It may be beaten out into 
leaves so thin that one single grain of solid gold may be made to cover 
56 3-4 square inches, the leaf being only ^o P art °f an mcn thick; 
and an ounce of gold upon a silver wire is capable of being extended 
1300 miles in length. It requires a very strong heat to melt it. 

The curious crystals of salt ; the peculiar brilliancy of some stones ; 
the great variety of metals ; petrified bodies found sometimes in the 
highest mountains ; and a thousand more wonders contained in the 
mineral kingdom, are well calculated to awaken our curiosity and to 
excite our astonishment No pursuit is more gratifying and delight- 
ful, or more diversified, than the attentive contemplation of nature. 
Though we were to live for ages upon the earth, and emploj^ed every 
day and every hour in studying and investigating the phenomena and 
peculiarities of the mineral kingdom only, there would still remain a 
thousand things which we could not explain, but which, concealed 
from our penetration, would still more and more excite our curiosity. 
Let us then lose no time in entering such a wide field of discovery ; 

* The magnet does not appear to be a stone, as the author has represented, but iron 
only, or iron contained in stone, modified in such a manner as to admit the passage of 
the magnetic fluid ; of which little is known, though some suppose it to be a modifica- 
tion of the electric power ; to support which they assert, that iron long placed in an 
elevated position becomes magnetic ; that instruments of iron struck with lightning arc 
sometimes magnetised, and that two pieces of iron may be magnetised by rubbing them 
against each other in the same direction. But supposing it was the electric fluid under- 
going a peculiar change in the iron, we are still no nearer the moon ; for we are equally 
in the dark respecting the nature of an electric as of a magnetic fluid. It is their effects 
only with which we are acquainted. — E. 

7 K 



74 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

let us employ a part of the time we can spare from our indispensable 
duties and avocations in observing nature, by which our mind will 
become improved, our knowledge increased, and we shall be rewarded 
with a very innocent and durable pleasure. The more we meditate 
upon the designs of God in his works, the more will our satisfaction 
increase, inasmuch as the objects of nature are infinitely more sublime 
and wonderful than the choicest productions of human genius. 



FEBRUARY XXV. 



To enumerate all the blessings which the mercy of God has be- 
stowed upon us from the first moment of our existence to the present 
period, would be as impossible as to stand upon an eminence and 
count the stars of heaven. How many benefits have we received in 
our infancy, which are now entirely forgotten ! From how many 
dangers, open or concealed, have we been delivered ! From how 
many impending evils have we escaped ; and how often has God 
provided for our wants, and confounded the incredulity of those who 
regarded assistance as hopeless ! Each day of our lives add to the 
sum of the favours we received. Each time that the sun illumines 
the eastern horizon, and that his departing beams leave a radiance of 
glory in the west, the goodness of God is manifested. And what 
greater and more striking proofs can we have of his Divine love, than 
our being redeemed through the sufferings of Jesus Christ ! that we 
have the Holy Scriptures of truth to point out those certain rules, which 
lead to life and to happiness ! and that from our earliest infancy we 
are permitted to imbibe the pure principles of Christianity, safe from 
the machinations of bigotry and the terrors of persecution ! 

From these considerations it will appear to be wholly impossible to 
number the blessings we receive from God. Let us confine ourselves 
to a single day, and endeavour to compute the mercies we receive in 
that short space : light, air, food, strength, a habitation, and friends, 
amusements and pleasures, and the renewed powers and activity of 
the mind, with a thousaud others each individual may enumerate.* 
May our minds be impressed, and our hearts softened, by these daily 
instances of God's love ; aud by frequently meditating upon them, 
may our gratitude be elicited, and our virtue strengthened and im- 
proved ! The more we employ ourselves in such reflections, the more 
we shall be disposed to reverence the power of the Almighty, and be 
delighted in celebrating his praise. 

* The author calculates that 'we receive from God 12 blessings every minute relative 
to respiration ; 30 relative to our understanding and will ; and 6000 relative to the dif- 
ferent parts of our bodies : consequently God grants us, each minute, 6042 blessings, 
and 362,520 every hour of life.' 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS 75 

FEBRUARY XXVI. 

TRANQUILLITY OF THE NIGHT. 

The care of Providence to secure our repose during the absence of 
day, claims the utmost gratitude and admiration. When night 
spreads her sable mantle over the earth, a universal stillness reigns, 
and announces to all creatures a cessation from their toils, and invites 
them to soft repose. To aid this general calm, nature suspends the 
action of those things which, by their vivid impression, would inter- 
rupt its duration. Animals, whose restless activity might disturb our 
sleep, have themselves need of repose ; the birds retire to their nests, 
and the domestic animals sleep around us. 

But this dead calm is not alike agreeable to all ; for many who, 
from pain, sickness, and various causes, pass their nights in dreary 
watchfulness, oppressed with care, no sooner lie down, than, preyed 
upon by distracting thoughts, their sufferings and their troubles seem 
to augment in proportion as every thing is tranquil around them : 
they count the hours as they slowly pass, and the time drags heavily 
till the first streaks of morning break, and the cheering rays of the 
sun restore to them the presence of pleasurable objects, and the inter- 
course of their friends. The number of these victims of disease and 
mental distraction are few compared with the great mass of mankind, 
whom health of body, ensured by temperance, and peace of soul, 
obtained by good works, always procure sweet and uninterrupted 
slumbers. After the fatigues of the day, we hail the approach of 
evening with pleasure ; and as the gloom thickens, and spreads a 
deeper shade, we feel the influence of sleep gradually diffused over 
our frame, and stretched along at ease on the downy couch, soon con- 
fess its grateful power. But how often does man break in upon the 
midnight hour, and disturb the general calm of nature ! The tumul- 
tuous uproar of the drunkard, and the wild levity of the libertine, 
often trouble the repose of the peaceable, and interrupt their slumbers. 
Can these thoughtless beings ever reflect upon their general disturb- 
ance of the peace, or have any respect for the ordinances of God ! 
At the very hour of their heedless noise, and riotous mirth, they are, 
perhaps, rendering more distracted the last moments of some poor 
helpless creature that imagines a short repose might ease her agony, 
or they break the slight repose of some unfortunate person who has 
long solicited it in vain. * How happy are the true believers, who 
have passed through the sleep of death to their God ! They are re- 
leased from all the miseries and vexations of a life passed in continual 
dangers and alarms, and their repose is no longer disturbed by num- 
berless pains and anxieties ! Freed from all misery, their souls no more 
shall be oppressed by grief, nor their joy be exchanged for sorrow and 
bitterness ; but blessed in the Lord, their peace shall be perfect.' 



76 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

FEBRUARY XXVII. 

WINTER IS AN EMBLEM OF LIFE. 

During- the winter days we experience a continued succession of 
vicissitudes ; flakes of snow, showers of rain, clouds and sunshine, 
storms and calms, quickly follow each other. Scarcely has the snow 
enveloped nature in its pure veil, when it vanishes from our view ; 
and scarcely does the sun reveal his splendour, when he becomes ob- 
scured by the dark clouds. So in the moral world we witness as 
frequent variations. If, during winter, many days are dark, gloomy, 
and dull, so also are many of the scenes of life ; and as storms and 
darkness are necessary and conformable to the wise laws of nature, 
so also adversity will strengthen the mind, and render better the heart 
of man. 

Who can prevent the day from being darkened by clouds, or our 
happiness from being the sport of contingencies, and at the mercy of 
other men 1 It is as impossible for our souls to enjoy an uninterrupted 
calm, as for the face of the heavens to be continually smooth and 
serene ; and as impossible for our frame to be free from pains and ac- 
cidents, as for the air to remain always destitute of clouds. Passions 
which often produce good effects will, likewise, sometimes occasion 
the most fatal consequences, and may be justly compared to the 
storms and tempests which perturb the face of nature. And as the 
winter is a source of fertility to the earth, so the afflictions and hard 
treatment we sometimes experience may be a means of increasing 
our wisdom and our virtue. Darkness teaches us how to esteem and 
value the presence of light, the continued brightness of which would 
dazzle and fatigue our sight ; and a fine serene day never gives us 
more pleasure than when it is preceded by gloomy and tempestuous 
weather. Neither should we be so sensible of the blessings of health, 
if we had not learned its value by painful experience. 

We are in general too apt to exaggerate our evils, and magnify our 
sufferings ; the events of the world, and the accidents of life, are 
rarely so lamentable, as in the gloominess of our thoughts, and the 
ardency of our imagination, we represent them. We are so blinded 
by pride, self-love, and affectation, that we consider every little evil 
that befalls us as of the first consequence ; whilst we never think of 
the many advantages and comforts with which we are favoured, and 
which far exceed the trifling inconveniences we may suffer. Even 
what we regard as the greatest evils may be converted to our ultimate 
gain, if we conform ourselves to the views of Divine Wisdom. Do 
we not see the snow, the tempests, the winds, and the frost, §nd all 
the changes of the season, are the means which God uses to grant us 
new favours ! When the sky has long been lowering, and the clouds 
gathered thick, when the storm and the tempest have threatened, 
how soon has light been restored to the heavens, and joy and gladness 
again smiled on the earth ! The heavier the showers are, the sooner 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 77 

the clouds are drained ; the more intense the darkness, the greater 
is the pleasure when the sun restores the day. Adversity only fills 
up a part of our life, and often when the storm threatens to break 
over our heads we are going to be relieved from our trouble. 

Let us, therefore, bow without murmuring, to the dispensations of 
Providence, and cheerfully submit to the evils we cannot avoid : if it 
please the Almighty Disposer of events, that our path through life 
shall be dark, with few rays of comfort and of happiness to cheer us 
on our gloomy way, let us not repine ; but steadily hold on our course, 
unmoved by the laugh, the scorn, and the censure of the world, as 
the rock rears its head above the waves, and remains regardless of 
their idle foaming, whilst the storm rages around. 



FEBRUARY XXVIII. 

THE UTILITY OF MOUNTAINS. 

Would it be more advantageous to our globe if the surface were 
more even, and not subject to so many inequalities 1 If the super- 
ficies of the earth had been smoother, so as to form one vast extended 
plain, might not our sight have reached farther, and our travelling 
from place to place been more facilitated, besides many other advan- 
tages which we should have experienced 1 These are important 
questions, and deserve our serious consideration : let us now, there- 
fore, see whether we have any cause to be discontented with the pre- 
sent arrangement of our globe. 

From mountains and hills flow innumerable springs, which uniting, 
form vast lakes and rivers. Those immense chains of mountains 
which extend from east to west, traversing a great extent of country, 
are supposed to condense into water the moist exhalations from the 
earth, and thus prevent their being dissipated : from the summits of 
the mountains there is thus a perpetual supply of streams, which 
descend to irrigate and fertilize the valleys below. 

Besides their being the source of. fountains and rivulets, they are 
also of great use in being the abode and shelter of many animals 
which are of great advantage and service to man. They supply, 
without its costing us any labour, food and support to many animals, 
which we esteem both for their flesh and their skins. Upon the sides 
of mountains grow and flourish trees, plants, and a variety of herbs 
and salutary roots, which cannot be so well cultivated in the plains. 
Within their bosom, also, are contained various metals and minerals ; 
and mountains are highly useful in sheltering us from the cold pierc- 
ing blasts of the north and east winds ; and to many countries they 
are more effectual and durable barriers against the inroads of hostile 
nations than the strongest ramparts and most powerful engines of 
war ; and they are, at the same time, the most sure bulwarks against 



78 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

the ravages of the sea, the inundation of floods, and the devastation 
of the winds. 

They form the most grand and striking objects of nature ; for who 
can contemplate the Alps, the Cordeliers, and the Andes, without 
feeling emotions of sublimity ] or view, without astonishment and 
rapture, Plinlimmon and Benlomond, whose summits are lost in the 
clouds 1 It is true that some mountains, such as iEtna and Vesuvius, 
are terrible from their explosions, and dreadful from the materials 
they contain ; causing horrible shakings of the earth, and hurling 
fire and destruction far around. But as we have reason to believe 
this partial evil is for the general good and advantage of man, we 
have no cause to complain of this peculiar arrangement of the earth. 

Mountains, then, we find, are essential to the due preservation of 
the earth ; procure us numberless advantages ; and display, equally 
with the rest of the creation, the wisdom, power, and goodness of 
God. On the heights, as well as in the depths : on the mountains, 
and in the valleys ; above the earth, as well as beneath it ; the Lord 
manifests himself the benefactor of his creatures, and gives occasion 
to bless and celebrate his name for ever and ever. 



MARCH I. 

POWERS OF THE MIND ENLARGED BY CONTEMPLATING GOD IN THE 
WORKS OF NATURE. 

Let those who wish to worship the God that made the heavens and 
the earth, go forth and view his works, and see, and acknowledge with 
gratitude, the wonders he has wrought. Of all the species of know- 
ledge we can acquire, none is more important, more agreeable, or 
more interesting, than that we gain from studying the works of na- 
ture ; and, properly to answer the great end for which we were cre- 
ated, it is essential to become acquainted with the Divinity by con- 
sidering his works : it will ensure us present as well as future felicity. 
It is certainly right to seek for a knowledge of God, as revealed in his 
divine word : but we shall scarcely embrace, with full conviction of 
heart, such a revelation, if we do not join to it that other revelation 
by which he is manifested to us in nature as the Creator of all things, 
and as the common Father, Lord, and Benefactor of the creation. 
And we find our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when open- 
ing to his disciples the great truths of religion, often made mention of 
the works of nature, and conducted his hearers from a consideration 
of the subjects which the moral and physical world present, to the 
meditation of things spiritual and heavenly. 

The frequent study of the great volume of nature is sufficiently 
noble, and worthy the attention of man ! By it we learn those truths 
which declare to us the immense grandeur and glorious attributes of 
God ; we are taught to know, and properly estimate, our own limited 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 79 

powers and faculties, and become better acquainted with the obliga- 
tions we owe for the blessings we receive. Those who despise this 
study, and think it beneath their notice, only draw down upon them- 
selves shame and disgrace, and deserve the compassion of their fellow- 
creatures. The advantages of reason are never more felt than when 
our faculties are employed in meditating upon the perfection of God 
displayed in his works : never does the mind so expand, and the ima- 
gination take such bold flights, as when, ranging abroad through 
nature, we view her works, whether the constellations and the lumi- 
naries of the heavens ; the hills, and the distant mountains ; the wide 
extended valleys, the groves, and the meandering streams ; or listen- 
ing to the sighing of the wind, or the hoarser cadence of the swelling 
wave, now foaming beneath the hoar cliff, or vainly breaking against 
the rock, whose dusky top sullenly peers above the spray ; and, glow r - 
ing with rapture, our soul then feels there is something more than all 
this ; sensations arise too sublime for utterance, and we are immedi- 
ately brought as into the presence of God : all meaner things, in those 
glorious moments of true delight, find no place in our bosom, which 
is filled with ecstacy and inexpressible felicity. These joys are not 
like the pleasures of the world, fleeting and transitory, but they are 
ever fresh and ever young ; they never disgust with satiety, nor 
weary with reiteration : and when retired to our habitations, the mind 
formed for greatness, instead of being occupied with the trifles and 
frivolities of the day, looks back with fond delight upon the past 
scenes, which the imagination depicts in the purest and most glowing 
colours ; and, safe from the dangers of his voyage, the traveller re- 
members the objects which once forcibly arrested his attention. 

We cannot long be in the habit of thus exercising our faculties 
without their being much benefited and improved : whatever calls 
forth the powers of the mind tends to elevate and enlarge its capa- 
city : and nothing contributes more to this noble purpose than the 
study of nature and of God : from our imagination we receive our 
greatest pleasures, and it never takes higher nor more brilliant flights 
than when ranging through nature ; but we have reason to believe, 
that the power we are permitted to enjoy of obtaining a degree of 
pure happiness here, is not to be annihilated or lessened when the soul 
is released from those incumbrances which now so much shackle and 
retard her advancement in wisdom and in perfection ; but that this 
kind of pleasure and true enjoyment will be continued in a future 
state ; and he who has most cultivated the faculties of his mind and 
cherished the virtues of his heart will have these faculties increased 
according to his desert in the world to come, where we are told in the 
language of Scripture, saints and angels of light continually rejoice 
in the presence of God, and are never weary with contemplating his 
glory and hymning his praises. And such even in this world is the 
reward of those who are continually reflecting upon the Almighty 
Power, as manifested in his works. 



50 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

MARCH II. 

UNPLEASANT WEATHER. 

Nature is still drooping ; deprived of her beauties, her aspect seems 
wild and dreary ; the sky is obscured with clouds, and the atmos- 
phere loaded with vapours. A thick fog conceals the morning sun 
from our view, and prevents our receiving his salutary influence ; 
his warmth is feeble, and scarce a solitary herb peeps above the 
ground ; all is dull, lifeless, and without charms. Some will be 
ready to exclaim, When will the lovely spring appear : When will 
those happy days arrive when the first flowers shall invite us forth 
into the fields and the gardens'? But let us remember that before these 
pleasing effects can take place, such a state as we now experience 
must occur. Such is the plan of nature, that without these days, 
which we think so disagreeable, all our hopes of summer must 
vanish. Storms and tempests are beneficial, and frosts ultimately 
tend to fertilize the earth. If the air was now mild and more tem- 
perate, millions of insects would be generated, to the great injury of 
the seed which is sown, and the plants ready to bud. And if the 
weather should now be mild, and blossoms be put forth, how they 
would suffer should a frost return to nip the tender shoots ! 

Yet such is our blind obstinacy, that we murmur against God when 
we ought to adore and to bless him ; and we set down for imperfect 
what should make us acknowledge the wisdom and goodness of the 
Creator. In short, we know not what we ask, nor what we desire ; 
and it would be a sufficient punishment if all our prayers Were to be 
granted. It is for the wisest purposes that the approaches of spring 
are gradual. The frequent rough and boisterous weather of March 
is generally the last remains of winter, prepares us for the enjoyment 
of finer days, and is the forerunner of the delightful verdure which 
the spring spreads over our fields. Therefore, O my God, will I con- 
tinue to exalt and to bless thee. In these stormy days I will be more 
and more convinced that thy government is wise, and thy arrange- 
ments of nature just and beneficial ; and that in all times and in all 
seasons, in storms, and in calms, in the rain and in the snow, equally 
as in the finest weather, thou art still my Father, Preserver, and 
Benefactor. 



MARCH III. 

STATE OF CERTAIN BIRDS AND ANIMALS DURING THE WINTER. 

At present we do not see any of those insects and birds which, dur- 
ing the summer, float by millions in the air and in the water, or rest 
upon the earth and among the groves. Of the birds, some species a* 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 81 

the approach of winter disappear, and retire to climes of a higher 
temperature, where they can find shelter and nourishment. The first 
stormy day is the signal for departure ; when, quitting their abodes, 
they assemble, and prepare to wing their flight to far distant countries. 
Nor do those that remain behind perish ; they continue through the 
rigours of the season. The bodies of some animals are so formed, 
that the same causes which deprive them of their food occasion such 
a change in their system, that they do not require any aliment ; the 
cold affects them to such a degree that they become torpid, and seem 
as if wrapped in the profoundest sleep, which continues till returning 
warmth opens the earth, and it again brings forth fruits ; when they 
awaken from their slumbers, and, as the spring advances, leave their 
retreats in the sands, in holes of the earth, the hollow trunks of 
trees, marshes, and various other places that have sheltered and pro- 
tected them in their death-like state during the winter. 

How admirable is the wisdom of God, whose tender cares extend 
to the least of his creatures ! He has endowed each of them with an 
astonishing instinct, which enables them to continue and to preserve 
their existence ; teaches them the day when they are to abandon 
their summer abodes, and pass the time of our winter in more genial 
climes ; and directs them in their dangerous flights. To others it 
points out the places where they may pass their time of torpescence in 
safety ; and when the warm beams of the sun descend with sufficient 
force, they come forth unhurt. 

Each time that I reflect upon these changes, I am induced to think 
of what will happen to myself at the hour of death ; when in that 
solemn moment I shall leave my habitation, my dearest friends, and 
all my pleasures, to pass into another state of existence. The 
changes that these animals undergo offer me another edifying reflec- 
tion. I see how God w T atches over the smallest link in the vast 
catenation of beings ; I see with what paternal care he provides for 
the support and preservation of the weakest and most insignificant 
creatures : and it would not be inconsistent with my ideas of his wis- 
dom and bounty to imagine that he would have less regard and 
solicitude for my welfare and conservation, whom he had been pleased 
to create so much superior] Surely that God which clothes and 
nourishes the insects and the birds, which provides them with retreats 
and places of repose in the holes of the earth and in the clefts of rocks, 
and guides their course to distant countries, will never abandon me 
in the time of want and of danger, nor forsake me in the hour of my 
affliction and distress. 



MARCH IV. 

WINDS AND TEMPESTS. 

How violently the air is agitated ! Hark, how the wind whistles 
above, and now swells in a louder blast ! See how the dark clouds 

L 



82 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

gather, and then whirl along with fearful swiftness ! The uplifted 
oaks strew the ground, which shakes as they fall ; and see those 
wretched huts borne aloft by the blast, their scattered fragments tos- 
sing in giddy eddies ! The clouds open, and deluge the earth with 
the descending torrent. Perhaps at this moment some luckless bark 
is riding in the storm at the mercy of the winds : above, the loud blast 
roars, and all around is darkness ; the waves now meet the clouds, 
then roll back, and discover the gulf threatening instant destruction. 
The fear-struck mariners have now no hopes ; they think of their 
far-distant homes, and with wild horror view the wave, in which, as 
it rolls on like a vast mountain, they read their final doom. But why 
does the beneficent Creator thus permit the winds to track their course 
over the seas and the earth with desolation and destruction ? Mad 
question ! Who has the temerity and the arrogance to dare to cen- 
sure and pronounce judgment upon the Almighty, or to question his 
proceedings 1 Let us rather consider his ways in silence, and feel per- 
suaded, from what we know of him, that they are always beneficial. 
Though the tempest and the whirlwind often speak in terror, and 
shake the earth ; though they cause devastation, and make the ships 
on the seas to be splintered against the rocks or entombed in the deep ; 
though houses are overthrown, and men and animals are swept away : 
still we have no right to arraign the decrees of Providence, which are 
written in wisdom and uttered in mercy. These storms and tempests 
are to answer great and important purposes in nature. At the return 
of spring, a humid and mild air softens the earth, which, during the 
winter, had remained hardened. By this change of temperature the 
atmosphere often becomes charged with noxious vapours, and plagues 
and contagion might destroy men and animals, if these violent agita- 
tions of the air did not render it more pure and salubrious. 

Thus we find the Almighty, whether he visits us in tempests, or 
smiles upon us in serenity, is alike the Father and Benefactor of the 
creation ; and every time we hear the winds blow over our heads let 
us acknowledge his goodness, and reflect with gratitude on the wis- 
dom of his government. The Lord taketh the winds from the four 
corners of Heaven, and bringeth them from the extremities of the 
earth; he marketh out the paths through which they should proceed, 
regulates their boundaries, and bids them to cease when they have 
fulfilled his purpose. Why then should we fear or be troubled when 
his messengers execute his commands ] Though the tempest should 
howl around me, the earth tremble, the rocks be rent in twain, and 
darkness obscure the face of nature, I will not be disturbed, neither 
will I be terrified ; but I will put my trust in the Lord, and rest my 
cares upon the bosom of Him who rules and governs the. universe, 
who directeth the winds, and pointeth out to the stars their course. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 83 

MARCH V. 

AURORA BOREALIS. 

Sometimes in winter and towards the vernal equinox, we observe 
in the heavens a sort of transparent, luminous, and diversely coloured 
clouds. A brilliant light appears from the north, which is gradually 
communicated to the other clouds, till at length rays of pale light 
shoot from these northern clouds towards the zenith. This aerial 
phenomenon, called Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, may be 
classed amongst those natural effects the true cause of which we do 
not exactly know. Some naturalists have supposed it to be a mag- 
netic matter, which, accumulating towards the north, becomes lumi- 
nous. Others with greater probability, suppose it to be occasioned 
by the rays of light falling on clouds or mist, and thence reflected. 

The uncertainty in which we are with respect to the cause of this 
phenomenon may be made useful to us. How many things do we 
not see in the heavens and on the earth which the greatest philoso- 
phers cannot explain ? This ought to render us humble, and check 
that pride which is continually raising us in our own estimation, and 
teach us that many very inconsiderable things often confound the 
wisest amongst us in their investigations, and elude their most atten- 
tive research. There are innumerable objects that we acknowledge 
are arranged with wisdom, and perform the most useful offices, with 
whose true principles, end, and catenation with the material world, 
we are unacquainted. Happilj' this ignorance does not always affect 
our happiness ; for though we cannot exactly determine the cause of 
the Aurora Borealis, our peace of mind is not therefore destroyed, nor 
our comforts diminished. And however ignorant we may be of that 
and much more, we are yet so far favoured as to know that all the 
phenomena of the physical as well as of the intellectual world pro- 
ceed from an all-ruling Providence, which governs the universe with 
wisdom, and directs it with harmony and love. Those who rightly 
feel this truth will have sufficient cause to bless and to adore the 
Almighty, as well as objects enough to engage their attention and 
exercise their faculties during their short passage through this life. 
Let us be moreover thankful that we were not born in those ages 
when ignorance ruled and superstition triumphed ; when, upon the 
appearance of such a phenomenon as we have just described, whole 
nations trembled and were thrown into consternation. This beautiful 
spectacle presented to their troubled imagination armies opposed to 
each other, and dreadful battles fought in the air ; whence they prog- 
nosticated the greatest evils. The Aurora Borealis was to them the 
evil genius which proclaimed war, famine and pestilence ; and terror 
and dismay spread through the country. 



84 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

MARCH VI. 

POWER OP GOD DISPLAYED IN THE MINUTEST OBJECTS. 

The azure vault of heaven, the immensurability of space, the con- 
stellations in the firmament,' the variety of creatures which inhabit 
the earth and fill the air and the waters, all display the glory and 
announce the infinite power of Almighty God. But it is not alone in 
the great objects of nature that we trace the wisdom of the Creator ; 
it is equally conspicuous in the least of his works. A single grain of 
sand viewed through a glass which magnifies a million of times will 
excite the greatest astonishment ; and who would not be surprised to 
discover that an insect lives within it]* Even in our own body we 
can discover objects inconceivably small and well deserving observa- 
tion ; every where on the surface of the body are innumerable pores, 
a very small part of which can be discovered by the naked eye. The 
epidermis resembles the scales of a fish, and it is calculated that a 
grain of sand will cover 250 of these scales, and that one of these 
scales can cover 500 of the interstices or pores through which the 
insensible perspiration passes. 

Have you ever considered the wonderful structure of the hairs of 
your head] They are hollow tubes ; each of which has a bulbous 
root, a marrowy substance, and connecting filaments. Every thing 
ought to convince us that there are thousands of objects in nature 
which are wrapt in mystery, and that we have many discoveries to 
make of things at present entirely unknown to us. There may be 
a thousand wonders in the formation of our body of which no person 
has yet thought, and which he would be far from suspecting : and 
there are some organs existing, the use of which we do not yet know. 
And how many objects may there not be in nature, so minute, that 
the microscope cannot detect, nor the understanding conceive them ; 
but which, if known, would furnish new proofs of the grandeur of 
God ! The little that we do know is sufficient to convince us that his 
power, wisdom, and goodness, in small things as well as in great, are 
most admirably manifest. 

The sands of the sea, as well as the expanse of heaven, the bril- 
liancy of the stars, and the roaring of the tempest, declare the glory 
of the mighty God. The trees in the beauty of their foliage, and the 
least grain and seeds in their abundance, cry with one voice, It is 
God who hath made us, give all glory and honour to the Creator ! 
And to him, and him only, ought Ave to give glory. The smallest of 
his creatures display his power : the structure of a fly is as curious as 
that of an elephant ; a single blade of grass as that of the stately 
oak ; and the formation of a grain of sand is as wonderful as that of 

* The author very gravely asserts, that ' if you examine a crumb of mouldy bread 
through a glass which magnifies some millions of times, you will discover a thick forest 
of fruit-bearing trees, whose branches, leaves, and fruit, may be easily distin- 
* "'— E. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 85 

a mountain. No creature that he has formed is unworthy our atten- 
tion; those which we consider as the most despicable, contain wonder- 
ful properties ; and as God has condescended to create them, they are 
certainly worthy our esteem and regard. 



MARCH VII. 

THE EFFECTS OF WINTER GRADUALLY DEPART. 

The same wisdom, which, at the beginning of winter, caused the 
increase of cold to be gradual, now orders its departure so, that it 
diminishes by degrees, and the rigorous season insensibly verges 
towards an end. The sun remains longer above the horizon, and his 
rays act more powerfully upon the earth ; flakes of snow no longer 
obscure the atmosphere, and the nights only produce a white frost, 
which vanishes before the noon-day sun. The sky becomes serene ; 
the fogs and vapours either disperse or are converted into beneficial 
showers. The earth is rendered soft and pliable, and imbibes mois- 
ture ; seeds begin to open out, branches which appeared dead, put 
forth tender buds, and the blades of grass spring up out of the earth. 
We see nature universally preparing to restore verdure to the fields, 
leaves to the trees, and the long lost flowers to the gardens. Notwith- 
standing the tempests, the hail, and the yet frosty nights, she is 
silently labouring to bring back the spring ; she will soon put off her 
sad and gloomy aspect, and resume all her charms and fascinating 
beauties, laughing with youth and gayety. 

It is thus that all the changes in nature are gradually accomplished. 
Each effect that we perceive has been preceded by some exciting 
cause ; a thousand circumstances which escape our notice succeed 
each other, until the great designs of nature are completed. Many 
springs are put in motion before a single blade of grass can spring up 
or one bud be unfolded. All those changes which have so unplea- 
santly affected us during the winter were necessary to ensure us the 
smiling prospect that so soon promises to open before our delighted 
view. Tempests, rains, frost, and snow, were requisite, that the 
earth might repose, or undergo that state by which its powers are re- 
newed and its vigour repaired, to enable it to sustain a greater degree 
of fertilization. Now that the advantages of these arrangements of 
^nature begin to unfold, and we discover some of the ends they were 
destined to fulfil, we acknowledge their propriety, and the beneficial 
consequences of winter demonstrate to as its great utility to the earth. 

As the seasons continually vary, so also do the periods and events 
of our lives continually change. In the life of each individual there 
is a catenation of causes and effects, which will remain wrapped in 
mystery, till eternity shall lift up the veil, and show why certain 
events were necessary and beneficial to our condition. Perhaps we 
are unable to know why we happen to be born in a particular family, 



86 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

and in a certain place rather than another ; why certain accidents' 
have befallen us, or why we embraced some particular mode of life in 
preference to another : all which at first might be hidden from us ; 
but now we comprehend that one action was a consequence of ano- 
ther, that the past was necessary for the present, and that many 
events which did not seem to accord with the plan of our lives were 
yet essential to the happiness we now enjoy. We are hourly ap- 
proaching that period when all the events of our lives, and the secret 
springs and causes which operated to produce them, will be made 
known to us ; and perhaps we are at this moment upon the eve of 
taking our flight for the regions of futurity, which, according to our 
deserts, will be happy or miserable. O God ! influence my heart to 
believe, that so it may be filled with peace and joy ; and when the 
visible creation shall depart from before my eyes, grant that I may 
enter into a blessed eternity ; and permit me to enjoy such a foretaste 
of it as shall elevate my soul above every earthly and perishable thing ! 



MARCH VIII. 

THE EXTERNAL PARTS OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

While the beauty of nature is veiled, and the fields and the gar- 
dens have not yet gained those charms which fascinate and invite to 
enjoyment, let us consider the structure and formation of the human 
body, which will furnish ample cause for admiring the power and 
wisdom of God. 

Amongst the most remarkable and conspicuous parts of the body 
is the head, whether considered as to the beauty of its form and ap- 
pearance, or as the supposed centre of sensation and seat of the mind. 
The organs of sight, of hearing, of smelling, and of tasting, are all 
placed in this wonderful part ; and upon the face, where shines every 
beauty, all the movements of the heart, all the feelings, are por- 
trayed ; the secret sentiments of the mind are legible, and the passions 
of the soul displayed. The lips, as they move in smiles, or assist the 
tongue in giving harmony and diversity of tone to the voice ; the 
teeth, as they add to the beauty of the countenance and divide and 
comminute the food ; with the different glands in the mouth, which 
secrete the saliva so necessary to digestion ; are all admirable, and 
wonderfully formed. The head, from its peculiar articulation with 
the neck, is capable of turning in any direction ; the shoulders are 
constructed in a manner which gives the greatest degree of 
strength of which a form like ours is capable ; to them are attached 
the arms, and to these the hands, which are formed with exquisite 
wisdom ; we are enabled to perform by their means an infinite variety 
of motions ; their peculiar structure is one great cause of our supe- 
riority in the arts, and all their movements are facilitated by their 
numerous bones and joints. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 87 

The chest forms a bony cavity, in which the heart and lungs se- 
curely perform their functions. The diaphragm separates them from 
the abdomen, which contains the stomach, the liver, the spleen, the 
kidneys, and the intestines. All this mass is supported by the hips 
and lower extremities, which have various joints to facilitate their 
motion ; and lastly, the feet contribute very powerfully to this impor- 
tant purpose. The whole body is covered with skin, beneath which 
are muscles, with which we are enabled to perform our various mo- 
tions; and we find, in some parts, a luxuriance of hair, which much 
adds to the beauty of the whole. 

What a diversity we see in these different parts ! and yet they are 
only some that are the most conspicuous, for there are many more 
equally essential. Their form, structure, order, situation, movements, 
and harmony, all display their divine origin. No part of the body 
is imperfect or useless, and the least alteration in its present organi- 
zation disturbs its regularity and interrupts its functions. 

If we only consider the consequences of being deprived of our 
hands, or having them formed like the hoof of a horse, how helpless 
we should be, incapable even of providing for our most urgent neces- 
sities, we should admire and rejoice in our present happy conforma- 
tion. If we possessed the ratiocinative faculty with the form of 
some quadruped or reptile, how incapable we should be of exercising 
those arts and employments which we now perform ! or had we, like 
the fabled Cyclops, but one eye placed in the middle of the forehead, 
how impossible to see objects on the right or on the left, and how con- 
fined would be our view ! or if our ear was differently situated, how 
imperfectly we should distinguish sounds ! We should be perfectly 
satisfied that the present organization of our body is best adapted for our 
condition in life, and we should bow down with reverence and grati- 
tude before the throne of the Almighty, who has thus so wonderfully 
formed us ; Avho has given us senses, which, however excellent from 
nature, may all be improved by cultivation ; and a mind, the expan- 
sibility of which seems to be unlimited. Seeing then that it depends 
upon ourselves whether our mind is to be luminous and our senses 
acute, or whether it is to be contracted and they brutified and cal- 
lous, let us pray to the God of nature that we may never lose sight 
of these truths, nor ever neglect improving those talents which, in 
his infinite mercy and condescension, he has entrusted to our care. 
Let us take the greatest care and make the noblest use of our bodies, 
seeing, that after they shall have reposed a certain period in the 
grave, they will be restored to us infinitely more glorious and perfect. 
It behooves us then not to dishonour a body which will be so illustrious 
in a future world, conformed to the glorified body of our Lord. Let 
the blessed and glorious hope of our future bliss, from this moment, 
animate us to dedicate our bodies to holiness, to regard them as the 
temple of the Deity, and preserve them pure and blameless till the 
glorious coming of Christ Jesus. 



88 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

MARCH IX. 

HOPE OF SPRING. 

Every day hastens the approach of spring, and our hearts begin 
to throb with the pleasurable hope of soon seeing the happy time ar- 
rive, when we can inhale the balmy breeze, and, walking forth into 
the fields, see all nature rejoice. This sweet expectation is one of 
the few which does not deceive, because it is founded on the invaria- 
ble laws of nature. The charms of this fond hope are alike diffused 
through every pure heart : it is not the splendour of the purple, nor 
the glittering of the diadem, which alone procure these delights, that 
often cheer the peaceful breast of the cottager, who cannot penetrate 
the abode of royalty, nor find entrance amid the busy sons of traffic. 
The arrival of spring is attended with a thousand new delights ; the 
beauty and fragrance of the opening blossoms, the warbling of the 
birds, and the widely diffused joy and gayety that smile around. In 
general our terrestrial hopes are damped by anxiety and repressed by 
doubt, but the hope of spring is no less certain and satisfactory than 
it is pure and innocent. Let us, then, whilst the stormy days of 
March shall continue, instead of repining and being chagrined, in- 
dulge the fond hope of spring, and suffer its pleasing influence to 
cheer our souls. 

Hope is one of the choicest gifts which Heaven mercifully deigns 
to mortality ; when the storms roar and the tempests howl, hope still 
supports our drooping spirits, and the rays of consolation gladden our 
hearts. Without this pleasing emotion how sad and dreary would 
have passed many of the winter hours ! Cheered by the hope of 
spring I have borne with patience, and endured without complaint, 
the rigours of winter and the hardships of the season, and now I am 
upon the eve of seeing it realized : a few more boisterous days passed, 
and all the beauteous pictures my imagination has so brilliantly 
painted will be confirmed ; the sky will become serene, the air mild, 
the sun return with power, and the earth resume her long-lost beauty. 
Gracious God ! I humbly thank thee, and bow before thee in the 
fullness of my joy and the overflowing of my gratitude, for the 
source of that consolation, which, in the hour of distress, warms my 
heart and softens the asperities of life. With what providential care 
and merciful regard thou hast veiled the evils which hover around 
me, whilst the pleasures which await me are seen far off, and smile 
upon my exertions ! 

Without hope, how dreary would be the world ; appearing to the 
care-worn pilgrim one wide desert, all the paths of which are sur- 
rounded with misery, beset with trouble, and embittered with sorrow ! 
But hope lights us on our way ; when darkness lowers and gloom 
oppresses, hope strengthens our faltering steps, collects our scattered 
senses, and presents to our view a pleasing prospect lying before us 
and just within our reach ; we spring forward with alacrity, and often 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS, 89 

pass our lives in the eager pursuit, with as much pleasure as if we 
had obtained the object of our wishes. Hope raises the sinking heart, 
and restores the courage which begins to droop; and each time I feel 
the magic influence of her rays, I will bless thee, O my God ! and 
thank thee for the daily benefits I receive, as well as for those reserv- 
ed for me at a future time. Blessed for ever be thy divine mercy, 
which permits me to hope that when time here shall be no more, my 
glad soul shall quit these narrow confines, to repose in the bosom of 
its Creator, through the countless ages of eternity. Were it not for 
this certainty of immortality, this fond hope of eternal life and happi- 
ness, few would be the incitements to virtue, and weak the induce- 
ments to mental improvement ; when oppressed by care and weighed 
down by misery, we should have little encouragement to continue 
longer in a world checquered by misfortune ; or, did affluence favour 
us, we should be tempted to indulge in the thoughtless round of con- 
tinued dissipation. But with the expectation of a future glorious 
state of existence, we can smile at care and trouble, arm ourselves 
against the fleeting pleasures of this life, and pity the deluded dis- 
ciples of folly and dissipation. 



MARCH X. 

HOAR-FROST. 

At this season of the year we very frequently observe the bushes, 
and other matters exposed to the morning or evening air, acquire a 
sort of crust on the surface, as if they were candied. This is what 
is called hoar-frost, which is merely the exhalations and moisture 
condensed and frozen by the coldness of the surrounding air. The 
dew which during the day has evaporated from the earth, descends in 
the night, and in cold weather becomes congealed, putting on that 
white appearance we so often observe in a morning ; and as the large 
bodies retain their heat the longest, we generally see more of the frost 
upon the hedges and grass than on the larger trees. The dew com- 
ing in contact with bodies colder than itself, imparts to them a portion 
of its heat, the loss of which, inconsiderable, occasions it to lose its 
fluidity ; when its particles condensed unite more closely, and form a 
slender coating of ice. In this manner our hair, as well as that of 
animals, is sometimes covered with hoar-frost : the perspirable matter 
exposed to the cold air becomes congealed, and this effect is produced. 
Thus also are formed the icicles we see hanging from the houses in 
winter : the water dropping down imparts the heat it contains to the 
colder air, and thus losing its fluidity becomes congealed. 



8* M 



90 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

MARCH XI. 

MEANS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO FERTILIZE THE EARTH. 

The wisdom of God employs a variety of means to render the earth 
fruitful. At one time the opening clouds shower down the rain, 
which softens and nourishes the earth ; at other times, when deprived 
of the benefit of rain, a gentle dew refreshes its surface, and animates 
the feeble plants, languishing for want of moisture. Each season 
has its peculiar means of fertilizing the earth. The snow, which, 
during the winter, covered our fields and our meadows, not only pre- 
served them from the effects of the cold, but tended to their subse- 
quent fertility. The frequent tempests in the spring preserve the 
purity of the air, dry the earth, and disperse the rain more generally 
over its surface : with each storm of wind and of rain the Creator 
scatters his blessings upon the earth. 

We may safely affirm that there is no change in the air or upon 
the earth which does not directly or indirectly contribute to its fertility. 
Every season brings a succession of phenomena peculiar to it, each of 
which produces in nature effects, the beneficial influence of which is 
more or less visible. Even those plagues which desolate certain 
countries are only partial evils, conducing to fulfil the great designs 
of Providence, and from which advantages result to the world at 
large. Every where, and at all times, we have cause to be thankful 
to our Creator for his tender cares and parental solicitude. 

" O Lord, God of times and of seasons ! thy praises reach from the 
centre of this globe to the heaven of heavens ! Our sphere rolls 
through the starry expanse ; now blooming with flowers, and now 
wrapped in snow ; here blushing with the vine, there covered with 
thorns. Yet it still celebrates thy glory, and unites its music to the 
harmony of the spheres. When the snow and the ice convert our 
meadows into desert places ; when the hurricane gathers in the air, 
the thunder peals, and the lightning causes the hearts of men to 
tremble ; when rivers, bursting their banks with one vast swell, inun- 
date a country, and all the elements seem to combine and prepare for 
the final destruction of the world ; it is then thou art providing for the 
inhabitants of the earth life, joy, fertility, and abundance." 

Here we may properly consider the means which God uses to fer- 
tilize the moral world. To lead men to a knowledge of his will 
concerning them ; to inspire them with an aversion of sin, and a love 
for virtue and the practice of good ; he sometimes speaks the language 
of gentleness and persuasion in their hearts, at others in a louder and 
more terrible tone. Sometimes he appals the guilty by the severity 
of his judgments ; and awakens the indifferent from their slumbers 
by the force of their sufferings. He declares himself to be hardened 
and unrelenting, as he formerly appeared to the Israelites upon Mount 
Sinai, clothed in lightning and speaking in thunder ; but the softer 
heart he gently leads from vice with tenderness and mild persuasion 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 91 

I am a living 1 witness of his divine beneficence, and I acknowledge, with 
praises and thanksgiving, that he has exercised all these means to 
draw me nearer to his presence. Sometimes it has pleased him to 
confound my pride by chastisements, and to awaken me to a sense of 
my duty by various afflictions and trials, which, whilst they softened 
my heart, tended to wean my affections from the things of this world. 
At other times he has visited me with his blessings, and his favours 
have descended upon me more abundant than the vernal showers. 
But what return have I made for these benefits'? Have I brought forth 
fruit, which a good soil never refuses when cultivated 1 Alas ! my 
heart rather resembles a rock, which the thunder cannot shake, nor 
the rain penetrate ; yet I hope, O God ! the time will arrive, when I 
shall become more submissive to thy will, and more disposed to obey 
thy commands. The longer I put off the hour of repentance, the 
more my sins multiply, and the more difficult I find it to purify my 
heart : and I pray to the Almighty God that he will not leave me a prey 
to my own evil disposition, but that he will graciously condescend yet 
to bear with my weakness, and enable me to draw nearer to him : 
whether it will be my lot to experience hardships and misfortunes, or 
to pass along the vale of years in peace and tranquillity, I will bless 
the God of my salvation, and pray not that I may pass my days in 
indolence and vanity, but that I may be productive of good works. 



MARCH XII. 

OF THE ADVANTAGES DERIVED FROM THE SEA. 

A merely superficial view of our globe might give occasion to 
believe that there is no proper proportion observed between the earth 
and the water, the vast expanse of the latter seeming to accord ill 
with the accustomed wisdom and goodness of God. We think that 
we should have received more benefit, if it had pleased the Creator to 
have suffered the great space occupied by the seas and the ocean to 
have been solid land. Short-sighted and ignorant men ! are you yet 
to learn that nature does nothing in vain, and that God has formed 
this earth with inconceivable wisdom and harmony in all its parts 1 
If the ocean was reduced to only half its present size, half the exhala- 
tions which now ascend from it would cease to form clouds, in conse- 
quence of which the earth would not be sufficiently irrigated ; for 
great part of the rain which descends from the skies is an effect of the 
heat causing an evaporation from the surface of the sea. Thus we 
find the ocean is the grand reservoir, which supplies the earth with 
moisture, and consequently with fertility. If the extent of the seas 
should be diminished, great part of the earth would become as a de- 
sert, dry and sterile, from the want of rain ; and the sources of those 
rivers that depend upon the rain would be exhausted. The inter- 
course between distant nations being cut off, or rendered nearly 



92 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

impracticable, commerce would cease ; by which we should be de- 
prived of many of the necessaries and comforts of life, besides losing 
that expansion of mind which arises from our knowledge of foreign 
countries, and an acquaintance with men and customs different from 
our own. For it is an incontrovertible fact, that in proportion as the 
inhabitants of a country keep themselves confined within their own 
little territory, without any intercourse with foreign nations, they 
become contracted, prejudiced, and ignorant. 

Let us then acknowledge, with gratitude, the wisdom of God in 
this beautiful arrangement of the universe ; that the same medium 
through which we become acquainted with every part of the universe 
is the great source of all our treasures, whether in commerce or in 
agriculture, and supplies millions of people with their daily food and 
support. 



MARCH XIII. 

DIFFERENCE EXISTING BETWEEN ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 

The difference between animals and vegetables is so obvious, that we 
can readily distinguish them by the slightest observation. The most 
striking distinction is the power which animals possess of moving from 
place to place, which vegetables do not enjoy. Another very essen- 
tial distinction is the faculty of perception, which animals have in a 
greater or less degree, but which is not common to plants. A third 
difference is the manner in which they are nourished. Animals, by 
means of proper organs, have the power of selecting that kind of 
aliment which is adapted to their nature : whilst plants are obliged, 
without choice, to receive such as the earth and water offer them, or 
perish for want. By means of vessels they imbibe the succulent 
juices of the earth ; and their leaves, likewise furnished with vessels, 
absorb the moisture of the atmosphere which circulates through their 
system. The variety of species is much greater in the animal than 
in the vegetable kingdom ; amongst insects even, there are perhaps a 
greater number of classes (including those distinguishable only by a 
microscope) than there are species of plants known on the surface of 
the globe. Animals have less conformity with each other than plants 
have, which renders them more difficult to classify. 

Another distinguishing characteristic is the different mode in which 
animals and plants are propagated : and plants, whether they appear 
above the surface of the earth or are buried beneath, whether they 
float above water or are below it, have their roots fixed in the earth ; 
whilst animals are found at large on every part of the earth, or they 
inhabit the air, or dwell in the waters ; they are found every where 
throughout nature. And lastly, they differ from each other most ma- 
terially in their form. Yet, notwithstanding these certain and obvi- 
ous characteristics, we are far from having discovered the exact limits 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 93 

of these two kingdoms, or from knowing how to distinguish them in 
every instance ; nature, in diversifying her works, makes use of 
shades almost imperceptible. In the great chain of beings the 
links are beautifully formed ; from the highest to the lowest the de- 
gree of perfection gradually falls ; but by such a gradation, that the 
most perfect differs but little from the one immediately next to it. 
We find some plants endowed with sensibility, and some animals that 
are nearly void of sensation. Corals formerly were thought to be 
marine plants ; but subsequent observations prove them to belong to 
the animal kingdom : and there are many substances which natural- 
ists are not yet determined under what class they should be arranged, 
so difficult is the task of assigning the precise limits to either king- 
dom ; and the more our observations are multiplied, the more shall 
we be convinced of this difficulty, arising from the great resemblance 
between some of the inferior species of the animal kingdom with cer- 
tain vegetable productions. 

Our researches into nature are always attended with this happy 
effect ; that the more we see of her works, whether animate or inani- 
mate, the more we are convinced that the world, with all the vast 
variety of beings which it contains, is the work of an infinite and all- 
powerful God. Such beauty, harmony, and variety, could not be 
self-created, but must proceed from an Almighty, Omniscient, and 
Infinite Being, whose power and goodness we trace through all the 
varieties of animated beings, beginning with the meanest reptile that 
crawls on the earth, and proceeding from link to link till we arrive at 
man, the angels, and God himself, the great First Cause of all ; or 
we may begin with the rudest species of matter, the stones upon 
which we tread, and mark the variations till we reach those lumina- 
ries that nightly present their revolving orbs to our astonished view. 
All speak the glory of God the Creator, and evince his protecting 
power and fatherly care : the rays of his perfection beam on all his 
works ; his mercy and goodness are impartially diffused over the cre- 
ation ; and such men only meet with superior favour and divine re- 
gard, who act as becometh those who are, conscious that all their 
deeds are known to a superintending Providence, which loves them 
as they love one another. 



MARCH XIV. 

UNIFORMITY AND DIVERSITY IN THE WORKS OF NATURE. 

The heavens above, and the earth beneath our feet, though they 
offer us at different times varied spectacles, and a diversity of beauty, 
still from year to year remain the same, and lose nothing during the 
lapse of ages. At one time the face of heaven is dark with clouds 
or obscured by mists ; then again serene and of a pure azure, or 
streaked with the most beautiful colours. ■ The midnight darkness 



94 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

yields to the silvery light of the moon, which in turn is lost in the 
glory of the morning sun. One while the vast expanse of the hea- 
vens displays nought but gloom ; at another, it is impossible to num- 
ber the constellations that illumine the regions of space. If the hea- 
vens undergo various revolutions, the earth is not less subject to 
change. Within a very short period the severity of winter has wi- 
thered its charms, and rendered it one immense field of uniform steril- 
ity. But soon the returning spring, succeeded by the warm summer, 
will restore its beauty, bring back its delights, and open out its trea- 
sures ; and autumn will follow to mellow the fruits that required a 
long time to be matured. Again, what a varied aspect is presented 
by different countries upon this globe ! In one, we see plains whose 
utmost boundaries no eye can penetrate, whose beauties no tongue 
can describe : in others, mountains wirose waving tops fan the breeze, 
and at whose base extend valleys, watered, by the richest streams, 
and laved by the purest rivers. Here gulfs yawn, and precipices 
threaten ; there the high hill dances in the reflecting wave, and the 
calm lake gently washes the distant snores ; whilst afar off is heard 
the rush of the torrent, and the impetuous roar of the cataract. 
Wherever the eye turns it meets with variety to interest ; the mind is 
expanded, and joy and delight cheer the heart. 

The same assemblage of uniformity and variety exists throughout 
the vegetable kingdom ; the subjects of which all proceed from the 
same bountiful mother, and receive the same kind of nourishment : 
yet what an astonishing diversity in the different species, both as to 
form and properties ! Thus we see the oak towering above the grass, 
and the elm looking down upon the humble primrose. All that bear 
a resemblance to each other in certain particulars, are arranged under 
the same class. It is the same with regard to animals, which are 
likewise arranged under different classes according to their resem- 
blances in certain points. And however man, by the superiority of 
his faculties, is raised above plants and animals, some things he en- 
joys in common with the meanest of them. Like them he requires 
nourishment, and like them cannot live without air, water, the earth, 
and the influence of the sun. Plants grow, ripen, increase, wither, 
and die ; and these laws of nature extend to man and the whole ani- 
mal creation. 

If we proceed to examine the varieties of the human species, what 
a wonderful mixture of conformity and diversity we meet with ! 
Human nature in all places is generally the same ; and yet, through 
all the extent of the peopled world, we find that, in this multitude of 
men, each individual has a figure peculiar to himself, a physiognomy, 
and certain properties and qualities of mind and disposition, which 
form his character, and serve to distinguish him from all the rest of 
the species. 

Naturalists, for the sake of accuracy and facilitating their re- 
searches, have formed three general heads or kingdoms ; the animal, 
the vegetable, and the mineral, under which they arrange all the 
productions of nature : these again are subdivided into classes, ge- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 95 

nera, and species. Thus every substance in nature is arranged under 
one or other of these general heads ; and by being acquainted with 
the characteristics of any particular class, when we meet with a 
new production, we know whether or not it is entitled to a place in 
this class. 

From this assemblage of uniformity and diversity, which is infi- 
nitely extended, arise the order and beauty of the universe. The 
diversity of form and properties between the creatures of the earth 
displays the wisdom of God, who has designed each to hold a certain 
place and rank in the creation, to answer certain purposes ; and he 
has so ordered, that no one can destroy the relations and oppositions 
he has established amongst them. He has founded his government 
upon wisdom, and regulated every thing for the utility and enjoy- 
ment of his creatures. Confined as are the views of man, partial 
and contracted as are his thoughts, he yet is capable of knowing and 
feeling this truth ; the slightest examination of the universe declares 
it to him ; and the farther he penetrates, the more he regards God 
manifested in his works, the more his mental powers will increase, 
and the less will he be affected by the contaminating influence of a 
base and sordid world. 



MARCH XV. 

OF SEEDS. 

Vegetables spring from seeds ; but the greater part of them are not 
sown by man, and are even invisible to him : they are dispersed by 
the winds, fall upon different parts of the earth, take root and spring 
up. For this purpose nature has furnished them with different 
means ; some she has provided with a light down, which renders 
them more capable of floating on the air, and being dispersed to dif- 
ferent places ; others are sufficiently heavy to fall immediately to the 
ground, and bury themselves in it without any assistance ; and 
others, that are light enough to be borne along by the wind, are often 
provided withlittte hooks, which, laying hold of different substances 
in their way, arrest their progress, and prevent their being scattered 
very far from their native soil. Some of them are enclosed in elastic 
capsules, which, at certain periods, burst open, and shoot out their 
contents. And there are trees which owe their origin to the birds of 
the air : oaks have been known to spring up from the care of ravens ; 
it is supposed that, led by instinct, they make holes in the earth with 
their beak, and deposit the acorns, which they cover over with earth 
and moss, as a supply of food when other sources fail. Many seeds 
after being swallowed by birds remain uninjured, and through their 
medium become plants, thrive, blossom, and produce new seed. If to 
the care of man alone the fields were destined to receive their beauty, 
and the forests their verdure ; if no seeds were to take root in the 



96 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

earth but those coming from the hand of man ; how desolate would 
be our meadows, and desert our groves ! But at the return of spring 
the soil again waves, and the odour of a thousand flowers scents the 
air, without the assistance of man. Yet these are not all the won- 
ders which the consideration of seeds presents to us ; the whole plant 
is contained in one little seed : within the narrow compass of the 
acorn are concealed all the rudiments of the oak, the monarch of the 
fields and the pride of nations. And we farther trace the wisdom 
of the Creator in the admirable structure of the seed, upon the pre- 
servation of which must ultimately depend the existence of the vege- 
table world. 

How carefully, and with what precaution, are the blossoms and seeds 
of those plants which continue all the year in the earth enclosed in 
and defended during the winter by strong tunics of a curious texture ! 
And plants which cannot bear the cold of winter are preserved beneath 
the surface of the earth in the form of roots, till the vernal sun causes 
them again to germinate, and flourish with renewed charms. Some 
seeds are placed in the middle of the fruit, others enclosed in capsules 
and sheaths, each being defended and protected in a most beautiful 
manner, at once displaying the power and the mercy of the Creator, 
whose hand is seen in every thing. The least of nature's works 
manifest his wisdom and goodness. And now whilst the busy hus- 
bandman deposits the different seeds in the earth, may I be seriously 
occupied with my God, who alone can sow the seed of righteousness, 
and bring forth fruit. 



MARCH XVI. 

GRANDEUR AND DISTANCE OF THE SUN. 

If we have never properly considered the narrow compass of our 
earth, or are too ignorant to perceive our own insignificance, we may 
perhaps be benefited by considering that immense body which commu- 
nicates light and heat, net to our world only, but to many others. 
The sun, nearly in the centre of all the planets and comets, may be 
regarded as the monarch of many worlds, to which he imparts light, 
heat, and motion. This alone would lead us to conclude that his size 
is prodigious, and this opinion is confirmed by his apparent magni- 
tude, notwithstanding his immense distance from us. But the 
calculations of astronomers have certified us of this beyond the possi- 
bility of doubt. From them it appears that the diameter of the sun 
is about 100 times greater than that of the earth, and consequently he 
is a million times larger than the whole earth. 

Astronomers have differed respecting his distance ; the truest cal- 
culation makes it about 82 millions of miles. Some planets move in 
their orbits much nearer to the sun, and others at a greater distance, 
than does our earth ; but though, if formed like our globe, in the one 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 97 

case they perhaps might be consumed by the heat, in the other 
wrapped in cold and darkness, we have reason to believe that those 
spheres which move round the sun, whether nearer to him or more 
remote than our earth, are so constituted, that neither the globe itself, 
nor its inhabitants, suffer ntm their situation. 

Perhaps it will be urged, that what we have stated respecting the 
magnitude and distance of the sun is exaggerated : for we can dis- 
cover nothing so great as the earth which we inhabit, and with which 
we compare the sun, which is a million times greater. This lumi- 
nary from its prodigious distance appearing so small, ignorant people 
are disposed rather to believe that which they can see with their own 
eyes, than give credit to calculations which their reason cannot com- 
prehend. But had we been placed on a planet whose magnitude bore 
the same proportion to the earth as the earth now does to the sun, we 
should have been equally incredulous as to the dimensions of this 
earth, compared with that we then inhabited. It is far from being 
strange, then, that we should be astonished when we are told of the 
distance and vast magnitude of the sun. 

This admiration ought to make us ascend to that Being which is 
its Creator, Director, and Conservator ; compared with which, the 
grandeur and brilliancy of the sun are as nothing : consider the glory 
of him who created it, and you will find infinitely more incomprehen- 
sibilities than when you only reflect upon the grandeur of the sun. If 
the earth, compared with the sun, is so small, what must be the little- 
ness of man compared with his Creator ! If the space between the 
earth and the sun is found to be so immense, what an inconceivable 
distance is there between man and the infinite God ! 

' Who is like unto thee, O Lord ! What can be compared unto 
thee ? Thy glory is exalted beyond the reach of praise, and thy 
grandeur above the comprehension of man. Glory, splendour, and 
majesty surround thee, the principle and source of life ; and light 
encircles thee as a garment.' But whilst we admire the sun as he 
shines above the horizon, let us not forget our divine Redeemer, that 
sun of righteousness which visited us in our afflictions, and whose rays 
impart life, health, and eternal salvation ; and without which, de- 
prived of light, virtue, and consolation, we should still wander in 
darkness, ignorance, and the grossest sin ! 



MARCH XVII. 

UPON THE IMPERFECT KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE OF NATURE. 

Why has not the Creator given us the power of investigating and 

explaining all the phenomena of nature, for which purpose the limits 

,<>f our understanding are too confined? He wills that we should 

become acquainted with his perfections, that we might magnify his 

name. Would not then the most certain means of knowing and ap- 

9 N 



98 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

predating his attributes be, to have a more intimate acquaintance 
with the works of the creation ? It seems to me as if I could much 
more admire the grandeur of the Supreme Being, and contribute 
much more to the exaltation of his holy name, if I was enabled to 
comprehend the whole, to know the perfections of each part, and to 
discover all the laws and springs of nature. If I now can admire the 
infinite greatness of God, when I only know a small part of his works^ 
what would my sentiments be, how absorbed in the meditation of his 
glorious attributes, with what awe and veneration should I adore him, 
if I could fully penetrate into the wonders of nature, and explain with 
certainty the phenomena she brings forth 1 

But perhaps this mode of judging is erroneous ; for since God has 
not thought fit to give us a more profound knowledge of nature, we 
are to suppose he prefers the degree of adoration and glorification he 
now receives from our limited faculties, to that he would have, were 
we to enjoy a more perfect state. Have we any reason to be surprised 
that in our present condition we are ignorant of the first principles of 
nature 1 Our senses are unable to penetrate into the essence of things, 
and we cannot form an idea of objects which our senses are incapable 
of observing. And there is an abundance of things which our senses 
cannot discern. If we wish to represent to our imagination any 
thing infinitely great, or infinitely small, they elude our grasp. If we 
reflect upon the rapidity with which the rays of light pass, we are 
incapable of following the velocity ; and when we wish to conceive 
an idea of the vessels and circulation of blood in a creature a million' 
times less than a grain of sand, we feel the inadequacy of our mental 
powers. Hence, as nature ascends from what is infinitely small to 
what is infinitely great, we shall not be surprised that we cannot 
penetrate its real principles. 

Notwithstanding this imperfection in our abilities, we have no rea- 
son to complain that our knowledge of nature is so slight ; we have 
always before us a vast field of improvement, in which we are incited 
to labour by every thing than can arouse and interest. Our faculties 
are so formed, that by cultivation they improve, and are capable of 
expanding to a greater degree than is generally supposed ; we are 
continually adding new truths to former experience, and as we pro- 
ceed we discover more to encourage our researches ; and the more 
enlightened we become, the farther we penetrate into the mysteries 
of nature, the more we find to raise our ideas of the glory, the power, 
and the goodness of the Almighty Creator. May we always, O God ! 
be favoured with the light of thy Holy Spirit, to guide us on our way; 
to enable us rightly to direct that knowledge we are enabled to ac- 
quire, and never to mistake or pervert those abilities with which we 
have been blessed, on the proper or improper use of which depends our 
future misery or felicity ! 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 99 

MARCH XVIII. 

THE UTILITY OF VEGETABLES. 

If we consider the great number and diversified appearance of ve- 
getables, we shall perceive, as in every thing else, the beneficent de- 
signs of the Creator. What other end could he have in view in 
covering the earth with so many different herbs, plants, and fruits, 
than the advantage and felicity of his creatures 1 Such is the num- 
ber and variety of plants, that upwards of 30,000 species have already 
been enumerated ; and every day more are added to the list. Their ' 
increase seems infinite : who, for example, is not astonished when he 
is told that one single grain of maize (Indian wheat) produces 2000 
more ; that one poppy-seed multiplies itself so, that, in two or three 
years, it produces sufficient to sow a large field ] Hence, no one can 
doubt the care of Providence, particularly when they consider the use 
that has been made of vegetables from the earliest ages. 

Do not fruits and vegetables daily furnish us with the most salubri- 
ous and nourishing aliment ? And are we not indebted to the vege- 
table kingdom for the greater part of our clothing, furniture, and ha- 
bitations 1 Every part of a plant is of some utility. The roots afford 
us food, medicines, pitch, dyes, and various utensils. With the wood 
we construct our buildings, furniture, and different instruments, ma- 
chines, &c. ; it likewise serves us for fuel, and from it we procure 
charcoal and medicines. The bark is of particular use in tanning, as 
well as in the cure of some diseases. The ashes are useful in fer- 
tilizing and ameliorating the soil, bleaching cloth, and making salt- 
petre. The resin is used in painting, and enters into the composition 
of pitch, tar, and balsams. Turpentine is used as a medicament, and 
colophonia (hard resin) to varnish, to solder, and to rub the strings of 
musical instruments ; and mastic is used in perfumes. 

Flowers, delightful both for their beauty and fragrance, are very 
useful in medicines, and supply the bees with their wax and honey. 
Fruits are singularly beneficial and grateful, whether fresh from the 
trees, boiled, dried, or preserved. But it is not man alone which 
receives advantage from the vegetable kingdom ; the greater part of 
animals derive their nourishment from that source. For this purpose 
we find fields and meadows innumerable, covered with every variety 
of plants and vegetables. The wants of every individual are pro- 
vided for ; each knows the kind of vegetables most suited to its 
nature ; and no one can number the blessings afforded by this king~ 
dom, nor find expressions to celebrate the goodness of God, 



100 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

MARCH XIX. 

STRUCTURE OF THE HUMAN HEART. 

How wonderfully and exquisitely formed is that muscular body, 
situated within the cavity of the chest, and called the heart ? Its 
figure is somewhat conical, and it is externally divided into two parts : 
the base, which is uppermost, and attached to vessels ; and the apex, 
which is loose and pointing to the left side, against which it beats. 
Its substance is muscular, being composed of fleshy fibres, interwoven 
with each other. It is divided internally into cavities, called auricles 
and ventricles ; from which vessels proceed to convey the blood to 
the different parts of the body. The ventricles are situated in the 
substance of the heart, and are separated from each other by a thick 
muscular substance ; they are divided into right and left, and each 
communicates with its adjoining auricle, one of which is situated on 
each side the base of the heart. The right auricle receives the blood 
from the head and superior parts of the body, by means of a large 
vein ; and in the same manner the blood is returned to it from the in- 
ferior parts, by all the veins emptying their stores into one, which ter- 
minates in this cavity ; which, having received a sufficient portion of 
blood, contracts, and by this motion empties itself into the right ven- 
tricle, which also contracting propels the blood into an artery, which 
immediately conveys it into the lungs, where it undergoes certain 
changes, and then passes through veins into the left auricle of the 
heart, thence into the left ventricle, by the contraction of which it is 
forced into an artery, through whose ramifications it is dispersed to 
all parts of the body, from which it is again returned to the right 
auricle ; thus keeping up a perpetual circulation : for, whilst life re- 
mains, the action of the heart never ceases. In a state of health the 
heart contracts about seventy times in a minute, and is supposed at 
each contraction to propel about two ounces of blood ; to do which, 
the force it exerts is very considerable, though neither the quantity of 
force exerted, nor of blood propelled, is accurately determined. 

The heart comprises within itself a world of wonders ; and whilst 
we admire its admirable structure and properties, we are naturally 
led to consider the wisdom and power of Him who formed it, from 
whom first proceeded the circulation of the blood and the pulsation 
of the heart ; who commands it to be still, and all the functions in- 
stantly cease to act : in God alone we live, move, and have our 
being ; and may we never, whilst the vital stream flows through our 
veins, forget his goodness, or repay his love with ingratitude ! 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 101 

MARCH XX. 

THE CHANGE OF SEASONS. 

The coldest as well as the warmest climates have but two seasons 
in the year, which are essentially different. In the coldest countries 
the summer continues about four months, during" which the heat is 
very powerful ; the rest of their year may be considered as winter. 
Their spring and autumn are scarcely perceptible, because in the 
space of only a few days an excessive heat succeeds the greatest de- 
gree of cold, and the extreme of heat is succeeded as rapidly by the 
extreme of cold. The hottest countries have a dry and scorching 
season for seven or eight months ; when the rains descend, and con- 
tinue four or five months, this being the only distinction between 
their summer and winter. 

It is only in temperate climates -that we find four distinct seasons 
of the year. The heat of summer slowly departs, by which the 
fruits of autumn are rendered mature, without suffering from the 
winter's cold. And in spring plants are enabled to germinate, unin- 
jured by remaining frosts, and not hastened into premature efflores- 
cence by too early warmth. In Europe, we observe these seasons 
most distinctly in Italy and the south of France, In the temperate 
regions summer and winter generally commence with abundant 
rains, which continue for a considerable time. From the middle of 
May to the latter end of June it seldom rains ; but after this time 
heavy rains sometimes set in, and continue till the end of July. The 
months of February and April are usually very variable. 

The change of seasons deserves our utmost attention and admira- 
tion : it is not effected by blind chance, for in fortuitous events there 
is neither order, constancy, nor regularity ; whereas in every country 
of the earth the seasons succeed each other regularly as the day fol- 
lows the night, and precisely in the expected time the aspect of the 
earth changes. We see it successively adorned with herbs and 
leaves, with flowers and fruits : it is then deprived of its ornaments 
till spring returns to restore them with increased beauty. Spring, 
summer, and autumn, nourish and gratify the animal creation by 
the fruits which blossom, increase, and ripen in luxuriant abundance. 
And though in winter nature seems to droop and to be dead, this sea- 
son is not without its benefits. 

Now that this month is so far advanced, we may begin to hail the 
near approach of spring, and all its accompanying pleasures, with 
transport and delight. How many are there who have longed to see 
this restoration of nature, and hoped to be recovered from the suffer- 
ings they endured during the winter, to whom this consolation has 
been denied, the thread of their lives being snapped ere the vernal 
breezes have refreshed the earth ! Perhaps this is the last spring we 
shall be permitted to see, the last time we shall enjoy the freshness of 
the morning air, breathing the sweets of the opening flowers. Before 



102 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

the return of the equinox we may be mingled with the dust, inhaoit- 
ants of the silent tomb. May this reflection dispose us to feel the 
true value of life, and teach us that serenity of soul and Christian foi- 
titude, which will enable us to receive the awful messenger without 
fear, and hear the summons without regret ! 



MARCH XXI. 

EVERY THING CREATED HAS ITS USE. 

If there is a superintending Providence which governs the world, 
the smallest things and most trifling events must feel its influence, 
and nothing under the agency of his Power will occur without some 
evident utility. Perhaps it will be said, ' What a number of things 
there are in the world of no use Whatever ! The north-wind blows, 
and the blossoms of trees are scattered ; they wither and are useless. 
Seeds, which might have produced new plants, perish without bring- 
ing forth fruit. Multitudes of insects are not only useless, but ex- 
tremely injurious to man, beasts, and vegetables. Many men and 
animals scarcely show themselves upon the earth, when they disap- 
pear ; others are born monsters, impotent, and deformed. How many 
faculties and talents are lost for want of being called forth ! How 
many noble projects and bold enterprises miscarry before they arrive 
at maturity ! Would all this take place, if a Being infinitely wise 
and provident governed the universe V 

But have you who thus dare to doubt the being and providence of 
God a perfect knowledge of all things, with their relations and depen- 
dencies amongst each other, to pronounce )^our decisions with cer- 
tainty, and promulgate such sentiments with confidence; to say, 
This can do no good, that is absolutely wrong, or of no use 1 Never 
forget the narrow limits of your knowledge, nor the feeble rays of 
your light. It is your duty to observe in silence the ways of God, 
and to admire and adore him in those works ; which so far from justly 
criticising, you are not able to comprehend : all those which you do 
know you will find contain proofs of infinite wisdom, and are of a 
certain and manifest utility. A thing may be useful in different ways, 
and whilst it is serving one purpose we cannot expect that at the 
same time it should serve another. The insect, which at its birth 
becomes the prey of swallows, cannot produce a new generation. 
The researches of alchymists for the philosopher's stone have not, it 
is true, made gold more plentiful ; but through their means many 
valuable discoveries have been made ; and the insect supplies the 
swallow with its food. Your tears may not soften the callous unfeel- 
ing man, who abuses his power in oppressing the weak ; but though 
your intercessions in favour of the unfortunate are fruitless, your 
tears are not lost, nor shed in vain : they tend to call forth the finer 
feelings of the heart, and increase that sensibility which is the source 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 103 

of true knowledge and virtue ; and there is a Being who hears your 
sighs, and to whom all your efforts on behalf of suffering humanity 
are known, and received as the most grateful incense. 

Never let us suppose, then, that there exists any thing in the uni- 
verse entirely useless. It is true there may be certain things which 
do not seem to succeed, nor answer exactly the end we expected them 
to perform ; but they undoubtedly fulfil the purpose for which Provi- 
dence designed them, and that belief is sufficient for us. For certain 
things to take effect and be realized, perhaps, it is requisite that 
others should fail and appear defective. If it is true that wisdom is 
not entirely engrossed about the present, but extends its views to the 
future ; if God is infinitely wise, and if his wisdom is to be manifest- 
ed to the world as in a mirror, there must occur many things which, 
separately considered, do not perfectly appear to accomplish their des- 
tination, because they required other causes to co-operate with them. 
The part which these have in the execution of the whole plan may 
be so imperceptible and so little understood, as entirely to escape our 
notice. But surely it does not follow, that because we cannot per- 
ceive the end they answer in the great system of nature, they do not 
contribute to its perfection, and are therefore useless ; on the con- 
trary, we have just reason to conclude, from what we see of the power 
and wisdom of God displayed in his works, that it is impossible for 
him to have created any thing without design or without utility ; 
though, from our imperfect nature, we are not always able to per- 
ceive the object and use of some of his works. 

This firm persuasion will contribute to our peace and happiness ; 
for there daily occur in nature, and in the course of human life, 
events, whose connexions, relations, and designs, appear to us in- 
comprehensible, and of no utility, and which might otherwise weaken 
our faith in God, as well as hurt and distress our feelings. But the 
more we are convinced by reason, observation, and experience, and 
confirmed by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures, that God, as he 
is infinitely wise and powerful, so also he is infinitely merciful and 
just, the more contented and cheerful shall we be in adversity as 
well as in prosperity. We shall then see and acknowledge, that all 
that God effects, or permits to be accomplished, is for the wisest pur- 
poses, and always for the universal good of mankind. And when we 
observe in nature so many trifling objects, apparently useless, and so 
many inexplicable events, seemingly repugnant to the divine plan, far 
from finding cause to complain, let us rather adore the wisdom of 
God, and ascribe unto him the glory which is his due ; ever trusting 
to him for safety and support, and confiding in his power without the 
folly of cavilling at his dispensations. This submission to his will is 
the way to happiness here, and eternal felicity hereafter. 



104 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

MARCH XXII. 

HARMONY BETWEEN THE MORAL AND PHYSICAL WORLD. 

The wisdom of God has established so great an affinity between 
the earth and its inhabitants, that they seem to be formed for each 
other. There is a certain connexion and harmony which links toge- 
ther all the works of the creation. There is an evident analogy be- 
tween the human body and the surface of the earth : as the bodies 
of plants and animals are formed, and come to maturity, then perish : 
so also are the bodies of men subject to similar changes. Such is the 
plan of the Creator, and it is pregnant with wisdom and goodness, 
adorned with perfection and beauty ; it is only our imperfect know- 
ledge which prevents our seeing it as it is. 

If any one objects, ' Why then has not God given to every one the 
same faculties and the same degree of intellect V we may answer — 
Who art thou, blind mortal, that callest God to an account for his 
works 1 Shall the creature dictate to his Creator, or question his 
powers 1 As well might we ask, Why God has not so ordered, that 
all countries on the earth, that every field, should be equally pleasant 
and fertile] Why do we find in some parts a rich and fruitful soil, 
whilst others are so sterile and desert, that all attempts to improve 
them are in vain ] There can be no doubt that this diversity is highly 
beneficial, and worthy of our warmest admiration, though not always 
conformable to our mode of thinking. The most desolate and barren 
regions, as well as the most wild and uncultivated nations, have their 
beauty and use in the eyes of God ; all hold that place which has 
been assigned them, and which is best adapted to their nature, in the 
immensity of created beings ; and their variety serves still to mani- 
fest the wisdom of God, which is infinitely diversified. 

But as it is manifestly the intention of Providence that the earth 
should be cultivated, and produce fruits in abundance for the preser- 
vation of its inhabitants ; and as for this end he has given us corn to 
sow the earth, and seeds of various kinds to supply food and nourish- 
ment ; so also he has given to each individual a mind, which, accord- 
ing as it is cultivated, will bring forth fruit ; it possesses all the capa- 
bilities of virtue and of happiness, and only requires the seed to be 
sown to produce a harvest rich and abundant. With this view he has 
given to us lessons of true knowledge and religion, which, when 
received in a mind properly disposed and regulated, will produce 
exquisite fruit, and abundant as the corn planted in a fruitful field. 

There are vast tracts of uncultivated and barren lands, where no 
verdure smiles, nor fruit refreshes, though they receive the fostering 
rays of Heaven ; so also, notwithstanding the general diffusion of the 
Gospel, there are countries which still remain in darkness, and there 
are people yet besotted by ignorance and infidelity. And among the 
civilized nations of the Christian world the influence of the Gospel is 
often very slightly felt ; many people know not what it is, do not 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 105 

comprehend it, nor have any idea of the saving power and sublime 
truths, of a pure and holy religion. Others receive it with eagerness 
and joy, and for a space acknowledge its influence ; but the impres- 
sion is not lasting, and soon becomes obliterated. Some are too much 
agitated by the passions and concerns of the world to attend to the 
gentle monitor : but there are some who receive the Divine word with 
a heart pure and incorrupt ; they hear its dictates with pleasure, and, 
by following them with perseverance, become of the happy number 
of the wise and prudent, whose steps are marked by virtue, sincerity, 
and peace, to whom it is indeed the power of God unto salvation. 



MARCH XXIII. 

OF THE NATURE AND PROPERTIES OF AIR. 

Air is a subtle fluid, which surrounds our globe, and which all liv 
ing creatures respire. Although it is so near us, every where sur- 
rounds us, and we are continually experiencing its effects, we are not 
yet sufficiently acquainted with it to precisely determine its nature. 
We know that it is a substance, for when we pass our hand rapidly 
through it we find resistance ; and we are certain that it is fluid, its 
particles are easily displaced, and yield to all kinds of impressions. 
Were it solid, we could neither inspire it, nor move in it with facility. 
It possesses weight in common with other bodies, being about 816 
times lighter than water.* The force with which the air weighs 
upon every square foot of the earth is equal to a weight of 2160 
pounds. And a man, whose surface is about fourteen square feet, 
sustains a weight of atmospheric air equal to 30,240 pounds. This 
may appear incredible ; but the resistance of the air contained in our 
lungs prevents our suffering any inconvenience from the pressure of 
the external air, an equilibrium being thus preserved. 

The elasticity of the air is equally certain ; it is continually making 
an effort to fill a greater space, and", though capable of compression, 
as soon as the pressure is removed it again expands. This is suffi- 
ciently proved by means of heat, which rarities it to such a degree, 
that it may be made to occupy five or six hundred times more space 
than it did before the heat was applied, without losing its elastic power. 
All these phenomena are highly worthy of admiration, and in them 
we may perceive the causes of many astonishing effects. It is in the 
air that our globe is suspended ; and it is in the air also that the 
clouds are collected, forming so many beautiful shades and colours, 
and which, as they are rarined or condensed, suspend the vapours, or 

* Its specific gravity, according to the experiment of Sir George Shuckburgh, when 
the barometer is at 30 inches, and the thermometer between 50 and 60 degrees, is 
0.0012. One hundred cubic inches of air weigh 31 grains troy. — Thompson's Che- 
mistry. 



106 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

permit them to descend on the earth, in rain, hail, or snow. Without 
air, life cannot be supported, nor fire and water exist. 

Thus, then, the air also announces the grandeur, power, and good- 
ness of God, whose infinite wisdom alone could adapt this element to 
so many and various purposes. God creates and governs the rain, 
the snow, the winds, the thunder, and the lightning ; he measures 
the quantity, gravity, elasticity, and motion of the air, and mercifully 
causes it to serve our necessities, and contribute to the general welfare 
of our globe. Let us, then, who every moment breathe this air, 
which supports our lives, adore the depths of the riches of His mar- 
vellous wisdom and understanding, who alone has created all these 
things, manifested in the whole economy of nature with infinite 
splendour ! 



MARCH XXIV. j 

NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN. 

With respect to man, no doubt, there are many new things which 
take place in the earth : in every season we see new flowers spring" 
up, new fruits ripen, and the whole face of nature annually changes. 
Every day is productive of new events and new revolutions ; the situ- 
ation of objects is continually changing, or they present themselves 
to our senses under different forms. It is only relatively to the limited 
extent of our knowledge and understanding that there is any thing 
new under the sun ; and in this light nothing is more true than the 
saying of Solomon, "What has been will be, and what has been 
done will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun." God 
has not thought fit to multiply things unnecessarily ; there is every 
thing which can satisfy our wants, gratify our desires, and satiate 
our curiosity. Far from exhausting, we are scarcely able to acquire 
a superficial acquaintance with the works of the Creator ; our senses 
are not sufficiently acute and powerful to perceive all the works of 
nature, and our understandings are too weak to comprehend them ; so 
that we can never form a just and accurate idea of the creation, nor 
of every created being ; hence we often believe many things are new 
under the sun which are only new to ourselves. As the empire of 
nature is immense, and as we can grasp only a very small part at one 
view, we suppose every thing we see for the first time to be new ; be- 
cause in every part of the world there is an infinite variety of appear- 
ance, and diversity of imagery. 

Nature does not require a continued and endless creation ; it is- 
sufficient that the Supreme Being preserves the order which he esta- 
blished in the beginning. There is no necessity for a number of 
springs to vary the works already produced ; for they succeed each 
other, and return in regular order, and yet appear so infinitely diver- 
sified as to seem always new. The impossibility of our numbering or 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 107 

conceiving the whole extent of the works of nature, whilst it con- 
vinces us of the weakness of our capacity, strongly proves the exist- 
ence of one great first cause of all, an Almighty God. 

But are there not many recent discoveries, entirely unknown to the 
ancients ? Are we not now familiar with phenomena in the kingdom 
of nature of which we formerly had no idea ] Most of these disco- 
veries have proceeded rather from the stimulus of want, than that of 
arriving at truth. As our wants multiply, new means are necessary 
to supply them ; but these existed long before we knew them. Mi- 
nerals, vegetables, and animals, that have lately been discovered, 
already existed in the earth, or upon its surface, long before the re- 
searches of men brought them to light ; and many that we imagine 
to be modern discoveries were very probably known to the ancients. 

Were the world (what from the nature of things is impossible) the 
work of chance, the same fortuitous agent that caused its first exist- 
ence might operate to-day as well as then ; and we should be con- 
tinually witnessing new productions. But the world and all created 
things being formed by a perfect Being, every thing that is made 
bears the stamp and broad impression of an all-powerful God, which 
established the foundation of the earth with wisdom, and formed in 
the beginning every thing that was essential to the preservation and 
well-being of the whole ; so that there is no necessity for a new cre- 
ation, or new laws, but all moves in harmony, guided by eternal sapi- 
ence. In all, and through all, God is magnified and glorified : and 
to him is due eternal honour and everlasting praise. 



MARCH XXV. 

OF CAVES FOUND IN MOUNTAINS. 

Caves are generally found in mountains, and very seldom in plains. 
They are frequently caused by the eruptions of volcanoes, and the 
explosions of earthquakes. But what end do such chasms answer % 
Though we could discover no certain end in their existence, we may 
take for granted that they are not formed in vain. 

However, the purposes they answer are often evident ; they serve 
as reservoirs for water, which may be had recourse to upon a defi- 
ciency of rain. They are also useful for the freer circulation of air 
through the earth, by more readily permitting its ingress and egress ; 
and thus lessen the frequency of earthquakes. They sometimes fill 
with water, and form lakes ; such is the lake Zirchnitzer, in Carniola, 
which fills in June, and loses its waters among the neighbouring 
mountains in September. It is sometimes navigable, and at others 
so dry, that the inhabitants may plough, sow, reap, and hunt in it. 
Another use of caves is the shelter and retreat which, during winter, 
they offer to animals. Hence we find more cause to admire the wis- 
dom and bounty of God ; and the deeper our researches penetrate 



108 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

into nature, the less shall we find of useless matter, and the greater 
reason we shall have to adore the sublimity and perfections of God in 
his works. 



MARCH XXVI. 

CIRCULATION OF SAP IN TREES. 

The trees, which during several months appeared entirely dead, 
begin gradually to revive, and in the space of a few weeks will give 
much more evident signs of vitality ; the buds will sprout, open, and the 
sweet blossoms expand. Though we have observed this revolution at 
the commencement of several successive springs, we have perhaps 
been ignorant of the means conducing to this end. The effects which 
we perceive in spring to take place in trees and other vegetables are 
caused by the circulation of the sap, which begins to move in the 
vessels containing it when acted upon by a milder air and increase 01 
warmth. As the life of animals depends upon the circulation of blood, 
so does the life and growth of plants depend on the circulation of the 
sap, which is to them what blood is to animals. To effect this, nature 
has formed and adapted all parts of vegetables to concur in the prepa- 
ration, motion, and conservation, of this nourishing juice. 

It fs principally by the bark that the sap, in the spring, begins to 
ascend from the roots into the body of the tree, and that even through- 
out the year life and nourishment are distributed to the branches and 
to the fruit which they bear. * The woody part of the iree is com- 
posed of small longitudinal fibres, extending in spiral lines, closely 
united together, from the roots to the summit of the trees. Amongst 
these fibres, some are so extremely small and fine, that a single one, 
scarcely as large as a hair, contains some thousand fibrillee. There 
is an innumerable multitude of little tubes, in which the sap circu- 
lates, extending through all the body of the tree to the remotest 
branches ; some conveying it from the root to the summit, and others 
returning it back again. During the heat of the day the sap rises 
through the ascending tubes, and returns by the descending ones in 
the cool of the evening. These tubes pass through the leaves, which 
are also supposed to answer the purpose of respiratory organs, and 
absorb the dew and moisture of the atmosphere. 

The sap then is distributed through every part of the tree ; its 
aqueous part evaporates by the pores of the vessels, whilst the oily, 
sulphurous, earthy, and saline particles blend together, to nourish the 

* From the experiments of Coulomb and Knight, it would appear, that the sap does 
not ascend through the bark, but through the wood ; and it is well known that a plant 
continues to grow even when stripped of a great part of the bark, which would not be 
the case if the sap ascended through the bark ; and those who are in the habit of obtain- 
ing, sap from trees are obliged to carry their incisions deeper than the bark, or they 
are unable to procure any sap. — E. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 109 

tree and promote its growth. If the circulation of the sap is checked, 
if the internal organization of the tree is destroyed, either by a very 
severe frost, or by old age, or by some accident, the tree will die. 

After such reflections as these, we shall no longer view the trees at 
this season with indifference, nor consider the change they are about 
to undergo as unworthy of our attention. Neither shall we observe the 
renovation of nature, without thinking of that God who has given 
life to all creatures, provided the trees with appropriate juices, given 
them the power of circulating the sap in vessels, and distributed to 
them life, growth, and nutriment. Yet how many people, year after 
year, unregarded let this season pass, and know less of the life and 
beauty of spring, displayed in plants and trees, than the cattle brows- 
ing on the plains. If ever they are blessed with another return of 
this season, may they begin to feel, and love to enjoy, the beauties of 
nature ; and at length know, that the infinite Creator is near to us in 
every part of his works, and that each of his creatures proclaims his 
greatness. And may the Lord God, in his infinite mercy, grant, that 
whilst all nature rejoicing feels the reanimating influence of spring, we 
may awaken from our slumber, and walk forth to enjoy his presence, 
our hearts softened, and our minds prepared by his divine influence to 
know and to glorify his holy name. 



MARCH XXVII. 

IGNORANCE OF FUTURITY. 

If we are ignorant of future events, we must not merely trace the 
cause to the narrow and limited faculties of the soul in its present 
state of existence, but we must go farther, till we arrive at the Creator 
himself, whose will and pleasure it is that the knowledge of futurity 
should be denied us. He knew the strength of man, and the extent 
of knowlege his imperfect nature was capable of bearing. The 
knowledge of futurity, like the splendour of the noon-day sun, could 
not be steadily contemplated ; it would be fatal to the happiness of 
man, and dangerous to his virtue. 

Supposing that the future events of our life marked a bright and 
prosperous tract ; whilst we viewed this at a distance, and anticipated 
that happiness which we knew certainly awaited us, our present 
enjoyment would cease, we should no longer be contented and cheer- 
ful, but wait with impatient anxiety for those blessings which were 
held up to our view. But, on the contrary, was the prospect of future 
contingencies gloomy and marked by affliction and sufferings, the 
moment we read our fate our happiness would cease : the days which 
nitherto had been passed in peace and tranquillity would now rise in 
sorrow and depart in gloom. With a known evil impending over our 
heads, each morning bringing us nearer to the dread moment, we 
should live in hopeless misery, the prey of sorrow and despair, insen- 

10 



110 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

sible of all the blessings around us. How infinitely merciful and 
wise then is that God who has shrouded futurity in darkness, gradu- 
ally unfolding the veil as the events occur ; so that we are never at 
once overwhelmed by the torrent of adversity, nor confounded by the 
blaze of certain prosperity 1 

Let us then never suffer ourselves to be disappointed by the delu- 
sive hopes of happiness, nor be rendered miserable and wretched by 
feeling the weight of misfortunes before they arrive. Let us rather 
thank the Almighty that our ignorance of futurity saves us from many 
a pang of inquietude, and delivers us from many a throb of anxious 
dread and fearful despondency. If we feel assured of the grace of 
God through the mediation of Christ, we have just reason to hope that 
futurity will unfold to us with joy and gladness ; and as there is a just 
and gracious God, who orders and directs the universe, who knows all 
the events of our lives, and before whose view is continually present 
the circle of eternity ; we may with safety, when we lie down to 
sleep, commend ourselves to his care, undisturbed as to what may 
happen during the night ; and when the morning sun summons us 
to our duties we may trust ourselves to his protection, without anxiety 
for the events which are to befall us during the day. And in the 
hour of trial, when dangers threaten and destruction seems to impend, 
let us still remember the goodness of God, and repose upon his protect- 
ing arm, in perfect assurance that whatever happens is for our good. 



MARCH XXVIII. 

GRADUAL APPROACH OF NIGHT. 

Night is a blessing bestowed upon us by the Creator, and is wisely 
and mercifully directed to advance by degrees. The sudden transi- 
tion from the light of day to the gloom of night would be highly 
inconvenient and terrific. So immediate a change would occasion a 
general interruption to the labours of men, and terror would be spread 
over the earth ; all living creatures would feel its influence, and the 
organs of sight must suffer considerably by the suddenness of the 
transition. Hence it is wisely ordered, that darkness does not surprise 
us suddenly in the midst of our occupations, but advances by slow 
gradations, and the twilight which precedes it leaves us time to finish 
our most pressing affairs, and to make the necessary arrangements. 
By this timely warning, the approach of night does not interrupt or 
incommode us. 

But whence proceeds that lingering light, which at the end of each 
day remains to temper and soften the gloomy aspect of night % We 
no longer see the sun, and yet a degree of lustre still cheers us. The 
atmosphere which surrounds us refracts the rays of the sun, projected 
on its superior surface, and it continues to receive these rays after the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. Ill 

earth by its rotation has withdrawn our sight from the sun; by which 
means we enjoy the light much longer. 

Thus a bountiful Providence has not only regulated the greater 
revolutions of the seasons, but also the daily alternation of light and 
darkness in that way which is most beneficial to us, and which 
demands our most heartfelt acknowledgments and thanksgivings. 
Let this gradual approach of night remind us of the evening of life, 
which advances by slow and certain degrees, till almost impercepti- 
bly the hand of death lies heavily upon us. May the Almighty grant, 
when the period arrives which is to close our eyes in darkness, that as 
the measure of our days is full, so also may the measure of our good 
works be completed ! Let us work whilst it is day, for the night Com- 
eth, in which no man can work. 



MARCH XXIX. 

MAGNIFICENCE OP GOD DISPLAYED IN HIS WORKS. 

Why are all the works of God so beautiful and magnificent 1 Why 
do we every where discover various and innumerable objects, each 
clothed in peculiar charms, and outvying all the rest in beauty 1 
Whence is it that we every where find new subjects of astonishment 
and admiration ] Doubtless that we may be led unceasingly to ad- 
mire and to adore that Being, who is so infinitely more beautiful, sub- 
lime, and glorious, than all that we can discover or delight in through- 
out nature. We cannot help saying, If the works are so admirable, 
what must be the Creator of them ! If the beauty of the creatures 
is so excellent, how inexpressible must be the grandeur and nature of 
the Being who formed them, and who sees the whole creation at a 
single glance ! 

If the meridian sun has splendour, the blaze of which dazzles and 
confounds our sight, we may well suppose, that He who first impart- 
ed life and being to this luminary, dwells in light inaccessible, utterly 
removed from the penetration of finite mortals. We cannot suppose 
he is less wonderful than the creatures he has formed ; and the more 
striking and marvellous are his works, the more he must excite our 
astonishment and call forth our admiration : could we comprehend at 
once the totality of his grandeur, he would cease to be God, or we to 
be men. 

There is no better way then of enlarging our views, or gaining a 
richer treasure of ideas and more ample intelligence, than in contem- 
plating God, the grandeur and magnificence of whose works are be- 
yond the limits of comprehension. By such contemplations all the 
faculties of the soul acquire strength and vigour, and our capability 
of enjoying happine^ both here and hereafter, becomes abundantly 
increasefl ; for the more the capacity of our minds is enlarged here 
by contemplating the Supreme Being, the more ennobled and exalted 



112 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

will it be, and the greater will be its power of comprehension and of 
enjoyment in futurity. Let us then divide our attention between God 
and nature, which last reflects as from a glass the image of that 
Eternal Being whose presence we only see from the effects produced. 
We may collect the various beauties and perfections dispersed through 
the creation, and when their innumerable multitudes have struck us 
with astonishment and admiration, we may think how little and in- 
significant are all these compared with the perfection of the Creator ; 
no more than a drop of water to the ocean. 

Let us regard the most lovely and beautiful of created beings, ab- 
stracting what is finite and limited, that we may have more just and 
exalted ideas of the infinite excellence of the Creator ; and when 
the sight of faults and imperfections in the creatures shall tend to 
lessen our admiration of their beauty, let us exclaim — If the creation, 
notwithstanding all its defects, be so beautiful and grand, how great 
and wonderful must He be whose splendour, ever unobscured, is 
purer than light, and more brilliant than the sun ! Let us then em- 
ploy all our faculties in contemplating the all-adorable God ; and not 
rest till we have taken our flight to the regions of perfection, where 
the most perfect of beings reigns in undisturbed felicity. Let our prin- 
cipal study be to learn to know God ; for there is nothing so great as 
he is, and the knowledge of him alone will satisfy our desires, and 
diffuse through our hearts peace and joy, which nothing can molest 
or destroy ; and it is in some degree a foretaste of that more perfect 
knowledge which shall constitute our felicity, and be our constant 
reward through eternity. 



MARCH XXX. 

ARRANGEMENT OF THE SEASONS IN DIFFERENT PLANETS. 

The diurnal rotation of the earth round its axis, and its annual 
revolution round the sun, afford us the greatest advantages ; which 
would induce us to suppose that the other planets enjoy similar bless- 
ings. All of them, except Mercury, have been observed to turn 
round their axes in different spaces of time ; and most probably he is 
subject to the same general law, though his precise motion has not 
yet been determined. All the planets move in their orbits round the 
sun, and even the secondary planets make a similar revolution round 
their primaries. And as the diurnal rotation of our earth effects the 
constant vicissitudes of day and night, and its annual revolution the 
change of seasons, we have just reason to conclude that similar 
changes take place in the other planets. 

Venus turns round her axis in little more than 23 hours ; Mars in 
24 hours 39 minutes ; Jupiter in 9 hours 56 minutes ; the moon in 
about 28 days. If we were to divide the day, that is, the time in 
which these revolutions are made, into twenty-four equal parts, each 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 113 

of which shall be called an hour, the hours of Venus will be a little 
less, those of Mars rather greater, and those of Jupiter not half so 
long as the days in our planet ; whilst those of the moon will each 
be more than equal to one of our days. We may also observe that 
the axis of each planet is inclined like that of our earth ; whence it 
follows, that during their revolutions round the sun, their north pole 
is sometimes more, sometimes less, enlightened. It is then reason- 
able to suppose that they experience a change of seasons as well as 
the alternation of long and short days. 

Perhaps it will be asked, c Why all these reflections V They would 
be useful, if only to extend our knowledge ; but they will be still 
more important, if we think of the consequences which must result 
from them. Shall we not have reason to conclude, that other planets 
besides our own are inhabited by living creatures ? All the planets 
resemble our earth ; like it enjoy the light and genial warmth of the 
sun, have the alternation of night and day, and the succession of 
summer and winter : but what end would all these phenomena an- 
swer unless the planets were inhabited ] Considering them as so 
many peopled worlds, what a sublime idea we conceive of the gran- 
deur of God, and the extent of his empire ! How impossible to fa- 
thom his bounty, or penetrate the limits of his power ! His glory, 
reflected from so many worlds, fills us with amaze, and calls forth 
every sentiment of awe, veneration, and gratitude. Supposing that 
his praise is celebrated in all the worlds which roll above and around 
us, let us not be surpassed in our adoration, but in holy emulation 
mingle our hymns with those of the inhabitants of these numerous 
worlds, and celebrate the Lord God of the universe with eternal 
thanksgivings ! 



MARCH XXXL 

CARE OP PROVIDENCE FOR THE PRESERVATION OP HIS CREATURES, 
EXPERIENCED IN EVERY COUNTRY OF THE WORLD. 

By this time we have become acquainted with the greatest part of 
the earth ; and new regions have, from time to time, been discovered ; 
yet no place has been found where nature does not produce the ne- 
cessaries of life. We hear of countries where the scorching rays of 
the sun have destroyed all verdure, and where the eye sees little but 
mountains and vast plains of sand : and there are countries which 
seldom experience the light of the sun, or feel the grateful warmth 
of his rays ; where a winter, almost perpetual, torpifies, and where 
no culture calls to cheerful employment, nor fruits or harvest are ever 
seen. Yet in these both men and animals exist, without any want of 
nourishment : the productions that nature has denied them, because 
they would be either parched by the heat of the sun or destroyed by 
extreme cold, are supplied by gifts adapted to the nature of the cli- 
10* P 



114 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

mate, and suitable for the nourishment of the inhabitants ; who col- 
lect with care what nature presents to them, and know how to appro- 
priate it, so as to obtain all that is necessary to their subsistence, or 
essential to their convenience. 

In Lapland, the providence of God has so ordered, that what at 
first seems to be an evil, and certainly is very troublesome to the peo- 
ple, is the means of their support. The Laplanders are infested with 
innumerable multitudes of flies, furnished with stings, from which 
they defend themselves by raising in their huts a continual thick 
smoke, and besmearing their faces with pitch. These insects depo- 
sit their eggs on the water, which attract a great number of water- 
fowl that feed on them, and, being taken by the Laplanders, become 
their principal source of nourishment. The Greenlanders generally 
prefer animal to vegetable food, and very few vegetables grow in these 
sterile countries. There are, however, some plants, of which the in- 
habitants make great use, particularly sorrel, angelica, and scurvy- 
grass (cochlearia.) Their principal nutriment is a species of fish 
called augmarset, much resembling the kind known by the name of 
miller's thumb. When they have dried these upon the rocks, they 
constantly use them instead of bread, and preserve them for the win- 
ter in large sacks of leather, or wrapped in old garments. In Ice- 
land, where also, because of the intense cold, there is no agriculture, 
the people eat dried fish instead of bread. The Dalecarlians, who 
inhabit the northern parts of Sweden, having no corn, make their 
bread of the bark of the pine and birch, and a certain root which 
grows in the marshes. The inhabitants of Kamschatka feed on the 
stem of the acanthus, which they first peel and then eat raw. The 
natives of Siberia make use of the roots of a species of lily, which 
they call martagon. 

Adorable Father of mankind ! how tender and merciful are thy 
cares for our preservation ! With what goodness thou hast distributed 
to every part of the earth all that is necessary for the subsistence of 
thy creatures ! Thy wisdom knew, before the foundation of the world, 
the dangers to which the life of man must be continually exposed, 
and ordained that he should every where be supported. Such rela- 
tions, connexions, intercourse, and communications, are established 
amongst the inhabitants of the earth, that people separated by the 
most distant seas labour for the convenience and support of each 
other. 

We have likewise abundant cause to be thankful that we are so 
constituted as not to be limited to any particular kind of food, but are 
capable of using every species of aliment. And let us adore the inex- 
pressible goodness of God, who has permitted us to receive his all- 
sustaining word ; for which, and the various blessings and abundant 
means of subsistence with which his liberal hand has supplied us, let 
us offer up praise and thanksgiving with our latest breath, and for 
ever rejoice in his holy name ! 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 115 

APRIL I. 

HYMN FOR THE COMMENCEMENT OF SPRING. 

Praise ye the Lord, who has created the spring 1 , who has adorned 
the face of the earth ! To him belongeth all glory, honour, and power ; 
for he maketh the beings which he has formed happy. The Lord 
has created, has preserved, and still loves and blesses, this world, the 
work of his hands : celebrate him all ye creatures ! 

In those days of felicity when man had not yet rebelled against his 
Maker, free from the pollutions of sin and its consequences, the earth 
resembled a paradise. Even now, though deformed by sin, and the 
reward of sin, we still see the hand of the divine Author, and the 
earth is still the entrance to Heaven. 

The fields, which have so long seemed dead, begin to revive and 
bloom; every day produces new blessings, and all created beings 
rejoice in their existence. The face of the earth is renewed ; the sky 
is pure and serene ; the mountains, the valleys, and the groves, 
resound with melody : and the Lord of the creation regards with an 
eye of mercy all his works. 

But the fields are destitute of intelligence, and the irrational part 
of the creation know not the Being which formed them ; man alone 
rejoices in his God, experiences his existence, and aspires to live for 
-ever in his presence. 

Let us celebrate the God of nature ; he is nigh unto us: let all his 
hosts praise him ! He is present every where ; in heaven, on earth, 
and in the seas. Let us for ever glorify him and sing his praises ; for 
wherever we are, there also He is, ever near us by his power, his love, 
and his bounty ! 

The Lord commandeth the clouds to extend themselves over the 
fields ; he watereth the thirsty land, that man may be enriched by his 
gifts. He commandeth the hail, the winds, and the dew, to become 
sources of happiness to mankind. 

Even when the tempest rises, and the thunder peals terror through 
the heart of man, fertility and blessedness spring forth out of the 
bosom of storms and darkness. The light of the sun returns with 
increased splendour, and songs of joy and harmony succeed the roar- 
ing of the thunder. 

It is in the Lord alone we find true happiness ; in Him who is the 
Author of aM good, who enables us to derive salvation from the eternal 
springs of light and truth. And blessed is the mortal who submits to 
his government with resignation, and who is prepared to leave this 
world, in the joyful hope of being united to his Father and Creator by 
the redeeming power of Jesus Christ ! 



116 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

APRIL I. 

ABUSE OF ANIMALS. 

Men abuse animals in so many different ways, that it is very diffi- 
cult to enumerate all of them ; and for the sake of perspicuity, I shall 
at present comprehend them in two classes. They are generally too 
much or too little valued ; and in either case we act with impropriety. 
On the one hand, we have too little regard for the brute creation, 
when, presuming upon the authority God has given us over them, we 
exercise that power with arrogance and caprice. But allowing that 
we possessed this absolute dominion over them, is it just that we 
should exert our right with cruelty and tyranny 1 All w T ho are not 
the slaves of passion, and are not corrupted by vicious habits, are 
naturally inclined to have compassion for every being that has life 
and feeling. This disposition does honour to human nature, and is 
so deeply implanted in our hearts, that he who has unfortunately 
stifled it is regarded with aversion, and shows how much he has fallen 
beneath the dignity of man. He will then have to make but one 
more step to become a monster ; which is, to deny to men the com- 
passion he refuses to brutes. 

Experience justifies me in this assertion, and my readers will recol- 
lect examples enough of this species of ferocity. History furnishes 
us with many : we there find that the people who delighted in the 
combats of animals were remarkable for their cruelty towards their 
fellow-creatures, so true is it that our treatment of animals has an 
influence upon our moral character, as well as upon the mildness 
of our manners. Though it may be urged we have the right of de- 
stroying hurtful animals, will it follow that we have a right to tear 
from them, without compassion or remorse, that life which is so dear 
to all creatures'? or, when necessity obliges us to take such a step, are 
we justified in taking a pleasure and barbarous joy in their sufferings ; 
and, in depriving them of life, making them suffer a thousand tortures 
more cruel than death itself? I grant that the Creator has 'given us 
animals to serve our necessities, to conduce to our comforts and 
pleasures, and to relieve our toil by their labour ; but it does not 
thence follow that we are to fatigue them unnecessarily, or to make 
them labour beyond their strength, refuse them that subsistence which 
is their due, or increase their sufferings by hard treatment. 

This is sufficient to show the nature of the first species of abuse ; 
but some people fall into the opposite extreme. Those animals of a 
social nature which are most connected with us, which live in our 
houses, and are continually in our presence, which amuse and contri- 
bute to our diversion or utility, sometimes inspire us with a ridiculous 
and extravagant affection. I am grieved to say that there are both 
men and women so absurd as to love their domestic animals to such 
an extravagant degree, as to sacrifice to them those essential duties 
which they owe to their fellow-creatures. War may send its plagues 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 117 

through nations, and whole armies destroy each other, without mak- 
ing any impression upon the lady who, some days after, is inconsola- 
ble for the loss of her lap-dog. Much more might be said upon this 
subject ; however, I will not weary my readers with such absurdities, 
but conclude this meditation with a very important remark. Parents, 
and those who are entrusted with the care and education of children, 
in their presence cannot too scrupulously avoid every abuse of ani- 
mals. It is the more necessary to insist upon this, because the practice 
of it is very often neglected, and the children, influenced by such 
pernicious examples, often imbibe the worst of passions. No animal 
should be put to death in their presence ; much less should they be 
commissioned to perform a task of such cruelty. Let them always 
be accustomed to treat animals as beings which have life and feeling, 
and towards which they have certain duties to observe. Whilst we 
thus prevent their feelings from becoming brutified, let us guard 
against their being too much attached to animals, to which they are 
very often much inclined ; but let us teach our children the right 
method of behaviour to this part of the creation, that they may, from 
their earliest infancy, be accustomed to acknowledge, even in these 
creatures, the visible impression of the Divine Perfections. 



APRIL II. 9 

MOTION OF THE EARTH. 

When the delightful spectacle of the rising sun renews each morn- 
ing in our souls the gratitude and admiration which we owe to the 
sublime Author of the universe, we may at the same time observe 
that the situation of this magnificent view changes with the seasons. 
Thus, if we mark the place where the sun rises in spring and in au- 
tumn, we shall find in summer it is more to the north, and in winter 
more to the south. It is reasonable to conclude that some motion 
must occasion these changes ; and many naturally suppose it is the 
sun which moves, and thus occasions us to see it sometimes on one 
side, sometimes on the other. But as the same phenomena would 
take place though the sun were to remain immoveable and the earth 
to turn round it, and that we neither perceived the motion of the sun 
nor that of the earth, we ought to give less weight to our own vague 
conjectures than to the repeated observations that astronomers have 
made in the heavens; which sufficiently prove that the rotatory motion 
of the earth alone effects the changes we remark in the situation of 
the sun. 

In the first place, let us represent to ourselves the immense space in 
which the heavenly bodies are placed : it is either empty, or contains 
a very subtile fluid, called ether, in which this globe, and all the pla- 
nets composing the solar system, move in their different orbits ; in the 
centre of which shines most conspicuously the sun, of whose gran- 



118 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

deur above all the planetary system we have spoken in a preceding 
discourse. The gravity which our globe has in common with all 
other bodies directs it towards the centre, or the sun attracts the earth 
by the superior force which greater bodies possess over smaller, and by 
which the latter are attracted ; so that, as the earth tends to fly off 
from the sun, it is counteracted by the superior attraction of that lumi- 
nary : by this means the earth is made to describe a circle round the 
sun, somewhat analogous to the curve described by a cannon-ball ; 
which, though it soon falls to the earth, yet might prolong its course 
for the space of some miles, if it had been projected from the top of a 
high mountain. Suppose the elevation were still greater, it would fly 
proportionably farther ; continue adding to this imaginary height, 
and it would go as far as our Antipodes, in order to return to the 
point whence it set out. 

All these effects take place from the laws of gravitation, or the 
attractive force of our globe ; and in this manner is caused the revo- 
lution of the earth round the sun. The orbit it describes is not, 
however, entirely circular, but an ellipsis, in one focus of which the 
sun is placed, by which arrangement we are farther from that star at 
one period than at another. This orbit is 44,000 semi-diameters of 
our earth ; and to make its revolution round the sun, the earth em- 
ploys 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 43 seconds, being the space 
of time which completes our year, after which revolution we find the 
sun in the same part of the firmament : for in every part of the earth's 
orbit we see the sun in the opposite side of the heavens, so that though 
the earth is continually moving, we imagine it is the sun which is in 
motion. In spring, the sun being equally distant from the two poles, 
causes the equality of day and night In summer, it is twenty-three 
degrees thirty minutes nearer the north, which occasions the greatest 
length of our days ; in autumn, it returns to an equal distance be- 
tween the poles ; and in winter it is as far towards the south as in 
summer it was towards the north, tbus occasioning our shortest days. 

Such being the order and the arrangement of the great works of 
the creation, we have yet additional cause to admire and adore the 
wisdom and supreme goodness of the Creator. Each new intelli- 
gence that we gain of the Father of Nature, by his works, is pre- 
cious ; we every where discover his greatness, and are led to acknow- 
ledge that he has perfected all with consummate wisdom. Let us 
then, with the fullest assurance and the most entire confidence, com- 
mit the conduct of our lives to Him who governs all things in the per- 
fection of his wisdom ; let us banish all doubt and mistrust, and sur- 
mount every fear, by faith in the Almighty Creator" of the heavens 
and the earth ; and may we be permitted to call him by the tender 
appellation of Father, through the redeeming grace of Christ ! 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 119 

APRIL III. 

ABUNDANT RICHES OF NATURE. 

To be convinced of the liberality with which nature distributes her 
gifts, it is sufficient to reflect upon the prodigious number of human 
beings who receive from this beneficent mother of their support, 
clothing, and comforts of every kind. But as this daily happens, 
perhaps the impression made upon our hearts is feeble, or we totally 
disregard the blessings we are continually receiving : we will there 
fore now consider those creatures which are partly formed for our use, 
and some of which are the objects of our contempt. This considera- 
tion will teach us, that every creature inhabiting the earth displays 
the merciful goodness of the Creator ; and if our hearts are still sus- 
ceptible of feeling, must call upon us to glorify his holy name. 

Innumerable multitudes of creatures inhabiting the air, the earth, 
and the waters, are daily indebted to nature for their subsistence. 
Even those animals which we ourselves feed, properly owe their 
nourishment to her. The various species of fish all subsist without 
the help of man. The forests will produce acorns, the mountains 
grass, and the fields different seeds, without any culture. Amongst 
birds the most despicable as well as most numerous tribe is that of 
sparrows ; the number of which is so prodigious, that the produce 
from all the fields of a large kingdom would not suffice for their sup- 
port during the space of one year. It is nature which takes from her 
immense magazine what is necessary for their subsistence, and they 
are only the least part of her dependants. The number of insects is 
so immense, that centuries may elapse before all their different species 
shall be known. How numerous are the flies, and how many different 
species of insects float in the air, of whose stings we often feel the 
smart ! The blood which they extract from us is a very uncertain 
and accidental kind of nourishment ; we may reckon for one insect 
which is supported in this manner millions which have never tasted 
of blood, either human or of any other animal. On what then do 
these creatures live ] There is scarcely a handful of earth that does 
not contain living insects, which are nourished in it by means of one 
another. In each drop of water creatures are discovered, whose 
means of existence and multiplication are inconceivable. 

Immensely rich as is nature in living creatures, she is not less fer- 
tile in the means of supporting them. From her every creature re- 
ceives its shelter and aliment ; for them she causes the grass to grow 
upon the earth, giving to each the choice of that food which is most 
suitable to its nature ; and none amongst them is so despicable that 
she disdains to regard it with affection, and refuses to provide for its 
support. Herein is plainly manifested the power of the Almighty, 
which effects what all the people of the earth united together could 
not accomplish. He satisfies every living creature, and nourishes 
alike the birds of the air and the inhabitants of the waters and the 



120 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

earth. And will he do less for man 1 Whenever doubts and uncer- 
tainty arise, let us remember the multitude of beings which God daily- 
supports. Let the fowls of the air, the wild beasts of the desert, and 
the millions of creatures which do not depend upon the care of man, 
teach us how to live contentedly. He who adorneth the flowers of 
the fields with their beauty, who feedeth every animal, surely knows 
all our wants ; and he heareth the prayers of the afflicted, when ut- 
tered in the language of faith and purity of heart. 



APRIL IV. 

SUN-RISE. 

Have you ever witnessed that superb spectacle which the rising 
sun daily affords 1 Or has indolence, the love of sleep, or absolute 
indifference, prevented your contemplating this splendid phenomenon 
of nature ? Perhaps you are of that class of beings who prefer the 
indulgence of a few hours more sleep, to the gratification of seeing 
the east illumined by the first rays of the sun ; or you are of the opi- 
nion of those who, satisfied that the sun is present to enlighten and 
to cheer the earth, never trouble themselves with reflecting upon the 
cause of such an effect. Or perhaps you are like millions of people 
who daily see this grand spectacle without emotion, and without 
forming any idea of it, but who pass it by without regard or reflec- 
tion. To whichever class you belong, suffer yourself at length to be 
roused from your state of insensibility, and learn what thoughts the 
view of the rising sun ought to excite in your mind. 

There is no spectacle in nature more grand and beautiful than the 
rising sun ; before which, the most magnificent dress that human art 
can prepare, the most splendid decorations and ornamental designs of 
costly palaces, fade away, and are as nothing. At first the eastern 
region of heaven, clothed in the purple of Aurora, announces the 
approach of the sun. The sky gradually assumes the tints of the 
rose, and soon flames with a fiery brilliancy ; then the rays of light 
piercing the clouds, the whole horizon becomes luminous, and the 
sun opens upon us in unrivalled splendour, gradually rising in the 
heavens ; whilst every creature rejoicing seems to receive new life 
and being ; the face of the earth is smiling, and the music of the 
birds fills the air ; every animal is in motion, and expresses its joy 
by playful gambols and increased animation. 

May the aspirations of my soul be raised to the throne of God, and 
the songs of my praise ascend up to Heaven, the seat of Him at 
whose command the sun first rose, and whose hand still directs his 
annual and diurnal course ; from which result the revolution of day 
and night, and the regular succession of the seasons. Raise thyself, 
O my soul ! to the Father of Glory, and celebrate his majesty ; ac 
knowledge thy dependence upon him, and celebrate his praise by 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 121 

actions which are pleasing in his sight ! Behold ! all nature pro- 
claims order and harmonious regularity. The sun and all the stars 
accomplish their course : each season brings forth its fruits, and every- 
day renews the splendour of the sun ; and shall we be the only crea- 
tures who neglect to praise the Creator, by the virtue of our actions 
and the integrity of our conduct'? Let the propriety of our lives and 
the fervency of our piety exalt the goodness of God, and teach the 
infidel how great and worthy of admiration is that Deity which he 
professes to despise ; and let the peaceful calm and purity of our 
minds teach the vicious man the beauty of holiuess, and the mild and 
merciful nature of that God before whom he trembles. Let us act 
towards our fellow-creatures as God does to us, and be to them what 
the sun is to the whole universe. As he daily diffuses his benign in- 
fluence over the earth; as he shines upon the ungrateful as upon the 
righteous ; and as he gilds the bosom of the valley as well as the 
lofty summit of the mountain ; so let our lives be useful, beneficent, 
and consolatory to our fellow-creatures ! May each returning day 
renew the charitable emotions of our heart, and may we do all the 
good in our power, and endeavour so to live and to act, that our lives 
shall be a blessing to mankind. 



APRIL V. 

CURIOUS STRUCTURE OP THE EAR. 

Although the ear is less beautiful than the eye, its conformation is 
as well adapted to its design, and it is equally admirable and worthy 
of the Creator. The position of the ear bespeaks much wisdom ; for 
it is placed in the most convenient part of the body, near to the brain, 
the common seat of all the senses. The exterior form of the ear me- 
rits considerable attention ; its substance is between the flexible soft- 
ness of flesh and the firmness of bone, which prevents the inconve- 
nience that would have arisen had it been either entirely muscular 
or wholly formed of solid bone. It is therefore cartilaginous, possess- 
ing firmness, folds, and smoothness, so adapted as to reflect sound ; 
for the chief use of the external part is to collect the vibrations of the 
air, and transmit them to the orifice of the ear. 

The internal structure of this organ is still more remarkable. 
Within the cavity of the ear is an opening, called the meatus audito- 
rius, or auditory canal, the entrance to which is defended by small 
hairs, which prevent insects and small particles of extraneous matter 
penetrating into it ; for which purpose there is also secreted a bitter 
ceruminous matter, called ear-wax. The auditory canal is termi- 
nated obliquely by a membrane, generally known by the name of 
drum, which instrument it in some degree resembles ; for within the 
cavity of the auditory canal is a kind of bony ring, over which the 
membrana tympani is stretched. In contact with this membrane, on 

it a 



\n STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

the inner side, is a small bone, called malleus, or the hammer, against 
which it strikes when agitated by the vibrations of sound. Connect- 
ed with these are two small muscles : one, by stretching the mem- 
brane, adapts it to be more easily acted upon by soft and low sounds ; 
the other, by relaxing, prepares it for those which are very loud. Be- 
sides the malleus, there are some other very small and remarkable 
bones, called incus or the anvil, os orbiculare or orbicular bone, and 
the stapes or stirrup : their use is to assist in conveying the sounds 
received upon the membrana tympani. Behind the cavity of the drum 
is an opening, called the Eustachian tube, which begins at the back 
part of the mouth with an orifice, which diminishes in size as the 
tube passes towwds the ear, where it becomes bony; by this means 
sounds may be conveyed to the ear through the mouth, and it facili- 
tates the vibrations of the membrane by the admission of air. We 
may next observe the cochlea, which somewhat resembles the shell 
of a snail, whence its name ; its cavity winds in a spiral direction, 
and is divided into two by a thin spiral lamina : and lastly is the au- 
ditory nerve, which terminates in the brain. 

The faculty of hearing is worthy of the utmost admiration and 
attention : by putting in motion a very small portion of air, without 
even being conscious of its moving, we have the power of communi- 
cating to each other our thoughts, desires, and conceptions. But to* 
render the action of air in the propagation of sound more intelligible, 
we must recollect that the air is not a solid but a fluid body. Throw 
a stone into a smooth stream of water, and there will take place un- 
dulations, which will be extended more or less according to the degree 
of force with which the stone was impelled. Conceive then that 
when a word is uttered in the air, a similar effect takes place in that 
element as is produced by the stone in the water. During the action 
of speaking, the air is expelled from the mouth with more or less 
force ; this communicates an undulatory motion to the external air 
which it meets ; and these undulations of the air entering the cavity 
of the ear, the external parts of which are peculiarly adapted to re- 
ceive them, strike upon the tympanum or drum, by which means it 
is shaken, and receives a trembling motion : the vibration is commu- 
nicated to the malleus, the bone immediately in contact with the 
membrane, and from it to the other bones ; the last of which, the 
stapes or stirrup, adhering to the fenestra ovalis, or oval orifice, causes 
it to vibrate ; the trembling of which is communicated to a portion of 
water contained in the cavity, called the vestibulum, and in the semi- 
circular canals, causing a gentle tremor in the nervous expansion 
contained therein, which is transmitted to the brain ; and the mind 
is thus informed of the presence of sound, and feels a sensation pro- 
portioned to the force or to the weakness of the impression that is 
made. 

What great cause we have to rejoice in possessing the faculty of 
hearing ! for without it our state would be most wretched and deplor- 
able ; in some respects more sorrowful than the loss of sight. Had 
we been born deaf, we could not have acquired knowledge sufficient 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 123 

to enable us to pursue any art or science. Let us never behold those 
who have the misfortune to be deaf, without endeavouring better to 
estimate the gift of which they are deprived, and which we enjoy, or 
without praising the goodness of God, which has granted it to us ; 
and the best way we can testify our gratitude is to make a proper use 
of this important blessing. 



APRIL VI. 

THE MILKY WAY. 

If we observe the heavens during a clear night Ave discover a pale 
irregular light, and a number of stars, whose mingled rays form the 
luminous tract w T hich is called the Milky Way. These stars are at 
too great a distance to be perceived by the naked eye ; and amongst 
those which are visible with a telescope, there are spaces apparently 
rilled with others in immense numbers, though not distinctly percepti- 
ble through a telescope. Though the number already discovered is 
prodigious, if we could make our observations from another side of 
the globe, nearer to the antarctic pole, we should be able to make still 
more discoveries, and see a number of stars which have never appear- 
ed upon our hemisphere ; and yet we should not even then be able to 
discover the half, or the thousandth part, of those radiant bodies which 
shine in the immense firmament of heaven. 

All the stars which we perceive in the milky way appear no more 
than so many luminous points, though each one may be much larger 
than the whole terraqueous globe. If we use instruments of the ut- 
most power, they never appear larger than when seen by the naked 
eye. Were an inhabitant of this earth to ascend into the air one 
hundred and sixty millions of miles, the fixed stars would still appear 
no larger than luminous specks. Incredible as this assertion may 
appear, it is not a chimerical idea, but a fact which is effectively 
proved; for about the 10th of December we are more than one 
hundred and sixty millions of miles nearer the northern part of the 
heavens than we are on the lOih of June ; and yet we never perceive 
any increase of magnitude in the stars. 

The milky way, though little, compared with the rest of the hea- 
vens, is amply sufficient to manifest the grandeur of the Supreme 
Being ; and each one of the stars we there discover display the wis- 
dom and goodness of the Almighty. And what are these stars in 
comparison of the immense number of worlds revolving in the firma- 
ment of heaven 1 Reason herself is confounded in the contempla- 
tion, and lost in admiration ; we can only w T onder and adore. 

Often, then, as we behold the starry sky, let us raise our souls to 
thee, adorable Creator ! and confess with shame how seldom we 
have thought of thee ; how little we have reverenced thy grandeur 
or praised thy majesty ! Pardon our insensibility, and forgive our in- 



124 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

gratitude, O God ! Loose these souls bound by earthly ties, and 
raise them to thyself, O Creator of heaven and earth ! Suffer us to 
humble ourselves at thy feet, deeply convinced of our littleness and 
unworthiness ! Then may we be comforted in our contrition with 
the glorious hope, that our redeemed souls will hereafter soar beyond 
the region of the stars in endless felicity ! 



APRIL VII. 

GERMINATION OF PLANTS. 

The vegetable kingdom is a vast field, where the attentive observer 
may contemplate the boundless power and omnipotent wisdom of the 
Creator. Though we should live upon the earth for the space of a 
hundred years, and though we were to dedicate every day to the study 
of a particular plant, at the end of our career there would still remain 
many things that we had not perceived, or had not been able suffi- 
ciently to observe. Let us reflect upon the production of plants, and 
examine their internal structure, and the conformation of their differ- 
ent parts ; let us reflect upon the simplicity and diversity discoverable 
in them, from the least blade of grass to the most lofty oak ; and en- 
deavour to become acquainted with the nature of their growth, the 
manner in which they are propagated, how they are preserved, and 
the different properties by which they are useful to the animal crea- 
tion. Each of these articles will sufficiently employ our faculties, 
and teach us the infinite power and merciful goodness of the Creator. 
We shall every where discover with admiration the most wonderful 
order and incomprehensibly beneficial designs. 

Though we were to know no more of plants than the phenomena 
which every eye may distinguish ; though we only knew that a grain 
of corn, when sown in the earth, at first shoots forth a root into the 
soil ; then a stem upwards, which pierces the surface, and bears 
branches, leaves, and fruit, in which are included the germs of new 
plants ; we should yet discover sufficient to convince us of the pro- 
found wisdom of the Creator. Let us attentively consider all the 
changes w^hieh a grain of wheat undergoes in the earth : it is sown 
at a certain time, which is all we can do to assist its progress ; but 
nature is more active. As soon as it has acquired the necessary de- 
gree of humidity from the earth, it swells ; the external coat or skin 
which concealed the root, stem, and leaves, opens ; the root bursts 
forth and penetrates into the earth, where it derives nourishment for 
the stem, which now makes an effort to raise itself up above the sur- 
face of the ground. When it has sprung up, it gradually increases 
till it has arrived at its proper height ; it then unfolds its leaves, which 
at first are white, then yellow, and at length are tinged with a beau- 
tiful green. If we confine ourselves to the examination of this grain 
of corn, so necessary to our subsistence, what admirable wisdom we 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 125 

shall observe ! Immediately as the tunic which enclosed the germ is 
rent, and the root has penetrated the earth, the stem ventures to 
spring up in the form of a fine and delicate filament, which, however 
feeble it may appear, is able to contend with tbe inclemency of the air. 
It gradually increases in size till it produces the ear of corn, the sight 
of which is so grateful, and where the fruit is enclosed in leaves which 
serve as a sheath till it is strong enough to break through them. 

The fields where corn is sown may serve to remind us of fields 
sown with a very different kind of seed. We may regard our bodies, 
when quietly deposited in the earth, as seeds which are to spring up 
and be matured in eternity. We have as little reason to expect that 
a grain of wheat placed in the ground will produce an ear of corn, as 
that our bodies reduced to dust shall become glorious bodies of light 
and immortality. The time will come, when the seed shall unfold 
itself, our dust will be reanimated, and the righteous will live in 
Christ. In that great day, what will become of you who despise our 
faith 1 It is true, our bodies must dissolve and turn to dust ; but they 
will not always remain under the influence of death. The soul of 
the just man made perfect will repose from the labours of this life, in 
the bosom of his God, full of happiness and adoration. Eye has not 
seen, nor ear heard, neither hath the imagination of man conceived, a 
state of salvation so blessed and glorious as this ! 



APRIL VIII. 

THE AZURE COLOUR OF THE SKY. 

To judge from the first impression of our senses, we might suppose 
that the heaven above us was an immense vault of blue studded with 
brilliants ; such an opinion, however, will only be retained by the 
most ignorant of men, though many with some title to understanding 
have very absurd notions of the sky. The reason why it appears of 
an azure colour is to be ascribed to the atmosphere not being perfectly 
transparent. Were it possible to ascend very high above the surface 
of the earth, the air would be found much more rare, till, if we were 
to ascend still higher, it would become incapable of assisting in respi- 
ration, and at length would entirely cease, when we should have 
reached the region of pure ether. 

The higher the mountains are which we ascend, the lighter does 
the atmosphere become, and the azure colour of the heavens fainter. 
And if it were possible to ascend to the regions of pure ether, the blue 
colour would entirely disappear, the sky would appear black as night ; 
for so do those objects appear which do not reflect the rays of light. 
Consequently, if the air which surrounds us was as transparent as 
ether, the sky could not appear blue. The air is filled with innume- 
rable minute particles, which, when illumined by the sun, receive a 
motion, in consequence of which new rays are produced ; and those 



126 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

particles, of themselves obscure, become visible to us when they are 
thus illumined. Their colour is blue ; hence a forest, which appears 
green when we are nigh to it, seems to be more and more blue as we 
recede from it. However pale and subtile are the blue rays of air, so 
many of them strike upon our eyes at the same instant, that they pro- 
duce all the effects of a dark blue. 

What has now been advanced may induce us to consider the hea- 
vens in a different point of view than we have hitherto done. From 
it we may conclude, that there is not a phenomenon in nature, not 
even the colour of the sky, in which we do not discover order, utility, 
and some certain end. If green is the most agreeable colour that 
could be chosen to beautify the earth, the azure of the heavens is no 
less beautiful and pleasing. How dreadful is the aspect of heaven, 
when storms rave and tempests lower ! But what a beauty and sim- 
plicity is seen when it is in a state of serenity and repose ! The 
charms it presents increase the longer we contemplate it, and we are 
never weary with the pleasing view ; the rejoiced soul raises itself to 
the Being which has thus adorned the heavens, and swells with 
grateful joy in the contemplation of his power displayed in beauty. 



APRIL IX. 

NECESSITY AND USE OF AIR 

The earth is surrounded by a fluid, called air, which materially 
contributes to its life, beauty, and preservation. All the changes we 
observe in the different beings upon our globe depend upon the air. It 
is essential to the existence of animals, for few of them can survive a 
minute's privation of this fluid. Not only land-animals, and those 
which inhabit the air, cannot live without it ; but those which dwell 
beneath the waters equally require a renovation of air. That birds 
may be enabled to fly, they must be supported by the air ; and on this 
account we find their lungs are so constructed, that the air can pass 
by orifices into their bodies, and their bones are cellular or porous ; by 
which means they are much lighter, and more easily float as well as 
fly in the air. Plants also require air to forward their growth and 
vegetation : hence they are provided with numerous vessels for its 
reception and transmission. 

Nothing is more easy than to enumerate proofs of the necessity and 
use of air ; we shall at present confine our attention to one only, 
which will sufficiently illustrate our assertion. If air did not exist, 
there would be no twilight before sun-rise ; the sun would suddenly 
flame above the horizon bright as at noon-day ; its aspect would not 
be changed till the moment in which it disappeared to leave us in 
total darkness. It is true, the sun would strike us with a most vivid 
light though there was no air, but it would resemble a fire blazing 
during the night in an open country : it would in some sense be day, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 127 

whilst the sun and the objects which immediately surround us were 
visible ; but all the rays which fell on bodies placed at a certain dis- 
tance would be reflected in a right line, and lost in the extent of the 
heavens. Thus, though the sun was placed immediately over our 
heads, we might yet experience a sort of night, if the atmosphere did 
not intervene between us and the luminary. 

To recapitulate then ail the advantages whjch the air produces to 
our globe : it preserves life, as being the principle of respiration to 
living creatures ; through its medium winged animals fly, and, those 
w r hich inhabit the waters are enabled to swim ; it serves for the pro- 
pagation of sound, and conduces to the formation of vapours, rain, 
and wind ; it is essential to the fertilization of the earth, favours the 
vegetation of plants, and by its agitation disperses the noxious va- 
pours which exhale from different bodies. If air did not surround our 
globe, the light and heat of the sun would be insufficient for our pur- 
poses ; sounds could not be transmitted, consequently our organs of 
speech would be useless: in short, the advantages which the air pro- 
duces to the human race are without number ; and if we accustom- 
ed ourselves to contemplate with an attentive mind this great agent 
of nature, we should be more and more led to exalt the works and the 
glory of God. If any have hitherto neglected this pleasing duty by 
having taken only a superficial view of the creation, and whilst they 
enjoyed the blessings of nature their hearts have not bowed before 
the presence of God, I beseech them, as they value their own happi- 
ness and well-being, to endeavour in future to become attentive spec- 
tators and observers of the works of God ; for they who consider them 
with attention, and investigate them with ardour, are rewarded with 
a pleasure pure and unceasing : the study of nature is a source of 
everlasting joy, the springs of which never fail. 



APRIL X. 

DIVERSITY OF SOIL. 

The soil of the earth is not the same in all places ; the upper bed 
is generally formed of a black, friable, and rich earth, which being 
mixed with the remains of plants and animal matter, becomes the 
nourishing parent of the many thousands of vegetables which enrich 
our globe. : This bed often varies in quality ; at one place it is light 
and sandy, at another clayey and heavy ; sometimes it is moist, some- 
times dry ; here warm, and there cold. Hence we find that plants, 
and herbs, which in some countries grow spontaneously, in others 
will not succeed without art and cultivation ; and this diversity of 
soil is also frequently the cause why vegetables of the same species 
differ amongst themselves, according to the nature of the soil in which 
they grow. In this the wisdom of the Creator is conspicuous : if all 
soils were alike, and possessed the same qualities and constituent 



128 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

parts, we should be deprived of many thousands of vegetables, as 
each species of plants requires a soil analogous to its nature. Some 
require a soil which is dry, others one that is moist ; to some warmth 
is necessary, and to others cold ; some flourish better in the shade, 
whilst others only expand in the sun ; some again thrive on moun- 
tains, whilst the greater number prefer the valleys. Hence it hap- 
pens that every country has a certain number of plants peculiar to it, 
and which do not thrive so well in others. If the elder is transplant- 
ed into a sandy soil, and the willow into one which is dry and rich, it 
will be found that neither will succeed so well in a soil different from 
that to which it has been accustomed. Thus nature provides for 
each that soil which is best adapted for its culture, each species grow- 
ing in the soil most analogous to its constitution. It is true, that art 
often forces nature to produce according to our wishes ; but the 
effects of this opposition do not always repay our trouble and expense, 
and nature, in the end, is found superior to all the researches of skill 
and operations of art. 

As the soil is infinitely varied, so also is the character and disposi- 
tion of men. There are some whose hearts are too insensible to pro- 
fit by instruction, whom no motive affects, whom no truth, however 
forcible and evident, awakens from their stupidity. Such a character 
may be compared to a stony soil, which alike resists the temperature 
of the air, and the assiduity of culture : a character little superior is 
that where continual levity predominates. People of this class may 
receive the salutary impressions of religion and piety ; but, if the 
least obstacle impedes, they are discouraged, and their zeal vanishes 
as quick as their good resolutions. Such as these are those timid and 
frivolous people who reject truth because they are afraid to receive it, 
and in whom piety cannot take root because there is no depth ; they 
resemble the light and dry soils where nothing arrives at maturity, 
where the scorching heat of the sun dries up every thing, because the 
soil does not afford the succulent juices necessary to the nourishment 
of the plants. Happy are they in whom, as in a rich soil, the seeds 
of virtue mature into an abundant harvest of choice fruits ! 

On this diversity of disposition, among men, depends more or less 
the effect which the sacred Word produces in their hearts. In vain 
may the sower sow the best seed, and useless will be his care, if the 
soil which receives it has not the requisite qualities : the excellence 
of the seed can never alter the sterility of the soil ; which, if so hard 
and unyielding that the seed cannot enter, or so sandy that it cannot 
take root, or so stony as to choak it up, will never bring forth good 
fruit. To whichever class we may belong, whether the impenetrable 
hardness of our hearts resists every impulse, or the frivolity of our 
disposition admits of no steady pursuit, we shall readily acknowledge 
that before the seeds of truth and of virtue can ripen into maturity 
and produce fruit, before we can attain the enjoyment of felicity and 
blessed peace, our hearts must be changed. To effect wnich must 
be the work of the Holy Spirit ; and may the Almighty, in his con- 
descension, assist and enable us to become like the fruitful soil, and 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 129 

faithful to our vocation, bring- forth abundance of fruit, that, rich in 
good works, we may preserve the gift of his grace in a good and 
generous heart. 



APRIL XL 

NECESSITY OF REPOSE DURING THE NIGHT. 

Labour is useful and necessary to man ; upon it depends much of 
the happiness and convenience of life, and every one, according to his 
state and condition, should apply himself to it. But by incessant ex- 
ertion human strength would be speedily exhausted, and man would 
become incapable of using his bodily powers, or of exerting the facul- 
ties of his mind, if nature did not, by continually supplying him with 
new vigour and activity, enable him to fulfil the duties of his voca- 
tion. As we daily lose a portion of our nutritious juices, we should 
soon become exhausted, and suffer a fatal consumption, was not our 
vitality continually renewed. This is supposed to be effected, and the 
ability to labour supported, by a matter inconceivably tenuid and pe- 
netrating, secreted from the blood, and called the nervous fluid, which 
supports the action of the brain and muscles. But the continual dis- 
sipation of this fluid would soon exhaust it, and man would become 
languid and enfeebled, unless the waste was continually repaired.* 
If the body was kept constantly in a state of action, our aliment ^ould 
not be digested, nor its nutriment be regularly distributed to every 
part. 

It is necessary then that the labour of the head, as well as the ex- 
ertion of the body, be for a time suspended, that our wearied nature 
may regain strength and vigour. Sleep renders us this important 
service : as night approaches, the powers which have been exerted 
during the day diminish, our vitality seems to be weakened, and we 
are irresistibly urged to sleep ; during which state, when the activity 
of thought and the labour of our hands have ceased, our fatigued 
body acquires new force and fresh vigour. This renovation is as ne- 
cessary to the body as to the mind; by it our limbs are rendered ca- 
pable of the greatest alertness, and our mind is enabled to undergo 
new exertions by its increased activity and the reanimation of all the 
intellectual faculties. 

How culpable are those who, from trifling views, a sordid interest, 
or the gratification of their passions, deny themselves the necessary 
portion of sleep ! They interrupt the order of nature, which has been 
established for their good ; they destroy their gayety of heart, ener- 
vate their bodily strength, and hasten the short period of their exist- 
ence by inducing a premature old age. Why should we be so foolish 

* Whatever is the cause of that excitement which stimulates to action, or of the reno- 
vation of exhausted strength, the nervous fluid so much talked of has never been disco- 
vered ; we merely know that the nerves are essential to sensation and life. — E. 

R 



130 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

as to deprive ourselves of a blessing which the bountiful favour of 
Heaven bestows upon all descriptions of men, upon the poor as well 
as the rich, upon the learned as upon the ignorant ? Why should we 
shorten our days by refusing the gift which nature offers of prolonging 
our life by the renovating repose of sleep? The nights may come, 
when, far from enjoying the sweet refreshment of sleep, tossing on 
the bed of anguish, we shall be counting the tedious hours as they 
heavily pass over. Few know or estimate the value of sleep till they 
have wished for it in vain : and there are nightly many thousands of 
human beings who, afflicted with diseases or mental agitation, know 
not the blessing of this sweet restorer of nature. 



APRIL XII. 

MAGNITUDE OF THE EARTH. 

To determine the exact size of the earth is attended with con- 
siderable difficulty : though there is in fact but one longitude, there 
are two latitudes, the north and the south, both beginning at the 
equator ; the one extending as far north as the arctic pole, the other 
south to the antartic pole. No one has yet been able to penetrate as 
far as either pole : for the mountains of ice in Greenland, and the 
northern sea, have always impeded on the north : and the south is 
not more accessible. However, by the labours of geometricians, we 
are enabled pretty nearly to ascertain the dimensions of our globe ; 
and according to the most exact calculations, the surface of the earth 
contains 199 millions, 512 thousand, 595 square miles. The seas 
and unknown parts, by a measurement of the best maps, contain 160 
millions, 522 thousand, and 26 square miles ; and the inhabited parts 
38 millions, 990 thousand, 569 square miles, in the following propor- 
tion : — Europe 4 millions, 456 thousand and 65; Asia 10 millions, 
768 thousand, 823 ; Africa 9 millions, 654 thousand, 807; America 
14 millions, 110 thousand, 874;* which calculations prove that 
scarcely a third part of the globe is inhabited. 

It has been calculated that there might be at least three thousand 
millions of men upon the earth at once, whilst in reality there are no 
more than one thousand and eighty millions : of which there are in 
Asia 650 millions, in Africa 150, in America 150, and in Europe 130 
millions. Supposing then that the earth is inhabited by about one 
thousand millions, and that thirty-three years make a generation, it 
would follow that in the above space of time a thousand millions will 
die ; consequently the number of those who die upon the earth 
amounts each year to 30 millions, every day to about 83,400, every 
hour to 3,475, and every minute to about 57. This calculation is 
very striking, and will naturally suggest the idea, that since the mor- 

* Ferguson's Astronomy. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 131 

tality of each year, and even of each minute, is so greaj,, it is very 
probable that we may ourselves very soon increase the bills of mor- 
tality. At this very instant some one of our fellow-creatures has paid 
the debt of nature, and ere the lapse of another hour above three 
thousand more beings will have bid a final adieu to this state of exist- 
ence. These considerations are awful, and should lead us to the 
most serious reflections ; they should frequently induce us to reflect 
upon death, and prepare for eternity. 

Immense as the earth may appear, its magnitude sinks into nothing 
when compared with those spheres, which revolve in the heavens; in 
comparison of the whole system of the universe, it is no more than as 
a grain of sand is to the most lofty mountain ! How this thought 
raises my conceptions of the inexpressible grandeur of God, the infi- 
nite Creator of the heavens and the earth, in comparison of whom 
this world, and all the worlds we can conceive, with their multiplied 
inhabitants, are lighter than chaff before the wind, and of less account 
than the atoms playing in the sun-beams ! 



APRIL XIIL 

GENERATION OF BIRDS. 

About this season of the year nature undergoes a general revolu- 
tion, highly interesting and well deserving of our attention. This is 
the time when the joyful birds begin to build their nests and bring 
forth their tender young ; an operation which, though renewed every 
year, is little regarded. 

In each impregnated egg that has not yet been sat upon, a small 
spot is observed on the yolk, in the centre of which spot is a white 
circle extending upwards, and appearing to join some small vesicles. 
In the middle of this circle is a sort of fluid matter, in which swims 
the embryo of the future chick. It is composed of two lines or white 
threads, which sometimes appear to be separated from each other at 
their extremities, and between which a liquid substance is seen of a 
leaden colour. The extremity of the embryo is contained in a vesicle 
or small bag, surrounded by a ligament, in which the navel afterward 
appears. The ligament is partly composed of a solid yellowish mat- 
ter, and partly of a brown fluid, which is also surrounded by a white 
circle. These are the chief things observable in an impregnated egg 
before incubation. 

When it has been under the hen about twelve hours, there appears 
in the lineaments of the embryo a humid matter, which has the form 
of a little head, and on which vesicles are seen that afterwards form 
the vertebrae of the back. In thirty hours the place of the navel ap- 
pears covered with a number of little vessels, and the eyes begin to 
be distinguishable. The two white threads, which in uniting have 
left still some space between them, enclose five vesicles, which are 



132 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

the matter of the brain and spinal marrow. The heart may next be 
observed, though it has not been ascertained whether the heart or the 
blood is first formed. However this may be, it is certain that the 
rudiments of the chick existed in the impregnated egg before incuba- 
tion ; and when it has been some time sat on, the vertebrae, the 
brain, the spinal marrow, the wings, and part of the muscles, may be 
distinguished before we can perceive the heart, the blood, and the 
vessels. In thirty-six hours the navel is covered with a number of 
vessels, separated from each other by unequal spaces. The essential 
parts of the chick being thus developed, it continues to grow larger, 
and the parts become more distinct, till, in about twenty or one-and- 
twenty days, it is strong enough to break the shell in which it was 
enclosed. 

We owe these discoveries to those naturalists who, by the assist- 
ance of the microscope, have hourly watched and remarked the pro- 
gressive formation and development of the chick. However, not- 
withstanding all the information we have derived from their observa- 
tions, there still remain many mysteries which elude the most pene- 
trating researches. How does the embryo gain entrance into the 
egg 1 and how does it acquire, by means of heat, which is all that 
it receives from the hen, life and growth 1 What power first puts in 
motion the essential parts of the chick, and what is that vivifying 
spirit which, penetrating through the shell, stimulates the heart into 
action 1 Who has inspired the birds with that instinct which teaches 
them to continue their species, and inform them their offspring is con- 
tained in the egg, upon which they patiently sit and endure every 
hardship during the period of incubation 1 

To these questions we can only answer with certainty, that as no- 
thing can be attributed to blind chance, we look for the cause in the 
wisdom of God, which has ordered that some animals should not 
arrive at perfection till after they have left the womb of their mother, 
whilst others remain in it till all their parts are formed ; and he who 
does not discover in the generation of birds the proof of a Superior 
Being, will perceive it nowhere. O man ! spectator of the glorious 
works of God, adore with me his marvellous wisdom, and see, even 
in the meanest objects, the impress of his ineffable goodness and 
power. He has created the birds of the air for thy advantage, plea- 
sure, and nourishment. 



APRIL XIV. 

PROGNOSTIC SIGNS OF THE WEATHER. 

Winds, heat, cold, rain, snow, fogs, drought, and many other 
changes in the temperature of the air, do not always depend on cer- 
tain and regular causes. There are, however, some signs in nature 
which often indicate the kind of weather about to take place. The 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 133 

position of our globe with respect to the sun, which is known to us 
by the four Reasons of the year ; the changes of the moon, the period 
of which can be exactly determined ; the influence which these hea- 
venly bodies and the different planets in our system have upon the 
temperature, the agitation, and the serenity of the air, are immuta- 
ble, and on them prognostics respecting the weather may be reason- 
ably founded. The consequences drawn from these are less to be 
contemned, because they are established upon truth and confirmed by 
experience. From analogy we have a right from the past, under 
similar circumstances, to judge of the future. It is true, a thousand 
contingencies may affect the temperature of the air with changes as 
great as they were unexpected ; but we must remember that these 
accidental circumstances seldom exist for a length of time, and though 
they may occasion considerable alteration in the ordinary course 
of the weather, they only remain for a short space, and their operation 
is very limited : whilst, on the contrary, the changes of weather 
generally follow a certain order, governed by certain rules ; and the 
attentive observer of nature, by comparing the experience of several 
years, will often be able to foresee them. 

We seldom err when we suppose that the north and east winds will 
bring cold, the south wind heat, and the west rain ; and that during 
the north-west wind it rains in summer and snows in winter. We 
may also conjecture with probability, that when the morning sky is 
red, there will be wind or rain in the course of the day ; and that a 
sky tinged with streaks of red in the evening, promises fair weather 
the following day. From the weather of spring we anticipate that 
of summer : if in the former we experience much fog, we may expect 
a wet summer ; if in the spring there are great floods, we may be 
apprehensive in the summer of violent heats and multitudes of insects. 
When storms have been frequent in spring, we have no reason to fear 
the return of hoar-frosts. 

But supposing that we had no power of predicting the weather, 
we might still be perfectly easy on that head : the variations of wea- 
ther, considered as a whole, depend upon fixed laws established by 
the Creator from the beginning of time ; and we may with certainty 
assure ourselves, that, however unfavourable it may seem, every 
change of weather is advantageous to the earth, and contributes to 
its fertility. Let us, then, in every alteration the temperature of the 
air undergoes, repose in confidence upon that God, who never acts 
but wisdom and mercy mark his progress : whose every dispensation 
is wise and beneficent, whether he rides in the whirlwind and directs 
the storm, or smiles in the beauty of serenity. All his ways declare 
his goodness, and all his paths display his glory ; wisdom and benig- 
nity manifest him in all his works, and the continued experience of 
his benevolence evinces his heavenly care and fatherly love. Let us 
for ever bless and adore, whilst w T e admire with awe, the sublimity of 
his grandeur, and the imcomprehensibility of his mercy ; and from 
generation to generation let every one enjoying the breath of life sing 
his praise and exalt his name. 

12 



134 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

APRIL XV. 

POSITION OF THE SUN. 

The sun is placed by the Creator in that part of the heavens which 
is best adapted to its nature, and to the great offices it performs. It 
possesses a determinate volume, and is placed in a space proportioned 
to the motion it was appointed to execute. It is fixed at a proper 
distance from those planets upon which it is to act ; and this position, 
arranged so many thousand years ago, he has retained uninfluenced 
by the wreck of empires and the revolutions of ages. Nothing short 
of infinite power could have effected such a miracle ; nothing less 
than an Almighty God could have created this immense globe, placed 
it in a suitable situation, defined its limits, determined its motion, 
subjected it to invariable laws, and preserved it through the lapse of 
ages in that position and order which in the beginning he had pre- 
scribed to it. And the wisdom and advantages of this arrangement, 
whether we consider this earth alone or the whole system of worlds 
encircling the sun, the experience of centuries amply testify. 

The burning rays that issue from a globe of fire a million times 
larger than the earth, must be inconceivably active, if in falling they 
continued close to each other : but as they separate more and more 
in proportion as the distance from the common centre increases, their 
force will be diminished in the ratio of their diverging. Had our 
earth been placed in a point where these rays acted upon it in a 
greater number, or at a less distance, the intensity of the heat could 
not have been endured ; or had it been thrown to the very extremity 
of the solar system, it would have received only a faint light, and not 
warmth enough to ripen its fruits and ordinary productions. The 
sun then is placed in that part of the heavens where it can be most 
beneficial, by which it communicates to our world a light and heat 
sufficient to penetrate and vivify the earth by its salutary rays, rarify 
the atmosphere, and produce all those happy effects without which 
we should neither receive the benefits of dew and of rain, nor the 
blessings of clear and serene days. But arranged as it is, it causes 
the alternation of day and night, and the vicissitudes of the seasons. 

It is not to the sun only, but to every planet and star that shines 
in the firmament, that God has allotted a place suited to its nature 
and adapted to the ends it has to perform in the creation. Every 
human being has likewise a place assigned him in the creation and 
certain duties to fulfil. And may we each attempt to act in our sta- 
tion, and perform the duties there allotted us, with as much exacti- 
tude and fidelity as that with which the sun throughout his course 
discharges his important functions, according to the immutable laws 
prescribed to him from the beginning of his creation ! As the sun im- 
parts his blessings freely to the whole earth, and all created beings ; 
so let every one, according to his power and capacity, exert himself 
for the good of mankind, share and divide with his fellow-creatures 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 135 

the advantages he enjoys, communicate to the ignorant the know- 
ledge which he may have acquired, impart strength and comfort to 
the feeble, and bountifully distribute to the indigent those blessings 
which the favour of Heaven has granted to him. The man who 
thus acts may feel a confidence that he is in some degree answering 
the great end of his creation. 



APRIL XVI. 

THE PERMANENCY OF CORPOREAL BEINGS. 

Nothing perishes in nature ; from the beginning of the world to 
the present period not a single atom has been annihilated. The first 
groves produced by the power of God were clothed with rich verdure 
and beautiful leaves : these withered, fell, and ceased to be leaves ; 
but the particles of which they were composed remained, and were 
converted into dust, clay, or earth. The matter of which the first 
leaves and herbs were formed still exists, and has lost none of its 
essential parts ; and the constituent part of the plants, which now 
flourish, will exist whilst the world shall endure. It is true the wood 
which we burn ceases to be wood ; but its particles do not cease to 
exist, being dispersed into ashes, soot, and smoke. And though na- 
ture is subject to constant changes, every thing that is decomposed is 
regenerated, and nothing finally perishes. 

We must not always judge from appearances : when revolutions 
and convulsions agitate the face of nature, we are induced to believe 
that many beings are totally destroyed : but this is an error ; they are 
only differently modified, and become the materials which enter into 
the composition of other beings. The water which exhales in steam 
and vapour is not lost ; it only leaves one place to increase in another. 
Thus what from want of information we regard as being entirely 
destroyed, has only undergone a change of parts ; and the world, 
considered in the whole, is now what it was in the first day of its 
being, though many of its component parts have experienced very 
considerable alterations. 

These considerations may induce us to reflect upon the revolution 
our bodies must undergo in the grave ; though they will entirely dis- 
solve into dust, they will not be annihilated, but their component 
parts will continue to exist. The conviction of this truth may fortify 
us against the fear of the grave and the dread of corruption, whilst it 
will strengthen our belief in the resurrection. 

' Why then shall my heart sink at the thought of the grave, or my 
mind suffer from the terror of annihilation ! What is deposited in the 
tomb is not the only possession we have worthy of our regard and 
solicitude ; it is merely the earthly tabernacle, which returns to its 
native dust, whilst the soul is incorruptible and endures for ever.' 

From the continual duration of corporeal particles, we may ra- 



136 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

tionally conclude that the soul also is immortal. Seeing that none of 
our earthly parts can be annihilated, can we suppose that our souls 
should be the only created thing 1 which shall .perish 1 Impossible ! 
Sooner would the whole material world sink into annihilation, than 
one soul which has been redeemed by Christ Jesus should perish. 



APRIL XVII. 

ADVANTAGES OF RAIN. 

Rain is truly a gift from heaven, by means of which the blessings 
we receive from God are equally manifold and indispensable. Widely 
desolating as the effects of a continued drought would be to us, as 
extensively beneficial are the refreshing effects of showers upon the 
earth. Who can describe or even know all the advantages which 
result from them 1 Though we may not be able to describe all, we 
may at least consider some of the principal benefits afforded by rain. 

The heat of the sun acts without interruption upon the earth and 
the different bodies upon its surface, and continually detaches from 
them subtile particles which fill the atmosphere in the form of vapour. 
We should inspire along with the air those dangerous exhalations, if 
they were not from time to time precipitated by rain, which, by draw- 
ing them down upon the earth, purifies the air. It is not less useful 
to us in moderating the burning heat of the atmosphere ; the reason 
of which is obvious, for the nearer the air is to the earth, the more it 
will be heated by the reflection of the sun's rays, and the farther it is 
from the earth the colder it becomes. The rain which falls from a 
high region brings a refreshing coolness to those below, the agreeable 
effects of which we experience as soon it has fallen. To rain is 
partly owing the origin of fountains, wells, lakes, rivulets, and rivers. 
Every one is acquainted with what abundance these different waters 
are supplied in humid and rainy seasons, whilst during a long drought 
they evaporate and become dry. 

But in order to estimate the utility and necessity of rain, we have 
only to observe how the earth and the different species of vegetables 
all languish for want of the fertile showers, which, when they have 
fallen, produce new life and reanimated beauty. Rain is in some 
respects the aliment of vegetables, and without it they would all pe- 
rish : it moistens and softens the earth, which would otherwise be- 
come dry and hard from the action of the sun ; it circulates in the 
minute vessels of plants and trees, and conveys to them those nutri- 
tious juices which support their life and promote their increase. 
When it washes the mountains it detaches from them a soft, rich, and 
friable earth, which it deposits in the valleys where it falls, and thus 
contributes to their fertility. 

Thus we find every thing is arranged for our advantage, and the 
whole earth is filled with the bounty of Heaven. Such will be the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 137 

conclusion that every thinking mind will draw from the above medi- 
tation : and still more to excite the adoration and praises of the Cre- 
ator, I shall add some other reflections inspired by the subject of which 
we have been treating, and which I hope will make some impression 
upon the minds of my readers. 

What spectacle is so noble as the azure vault of heaven viewed 
upon a calm serene day 1 Our hearts rejoice, and we regard it with 
admiration, till the thick clouds gather and darken all its beauties. 
This ought to teach us, that however admirable were those charms 
which we had just contemplated with such delight, there are others 
which are infinitely greater, which no cloud can obscure or conceal, 
and which will amply reward us for the privation of every other. 
What then are all the beauties of nature united, in comparison of the 
lustre of that Being, the contemplation of whom will create the feli- 
city of eternity, and form the chief delight of immortal spirits ! 

If at any time we are deprived of those things which cause our 
greatest pleasure here, we are more disposed to search in almighty 
goodness for that joy and felicity which we could not find in the perish- 
able things of the world. And often those very privations which we 
regret are productive of essential good. The clouds which some- 
times veil the beauty of the heavens are the sources of those refresh- 
ing showers which fertilize the earth. When misfortune hangs heavy 
upon your soul, and adversity darkens your horizon ; when your days 
are passed in tribulation and sorrow ; remember there is an all-seeing 
Providence, who regards you as his children, and in the midst of evil 
is still working your good. Let us ever cheerfully submit to the dis- 
pensation of God, who never acts but mercy tempers his justice, and 
wisdom regulates his motions ; and he alone knows how to distribute 
his benefits, and where to shower down his blessings. At his com- 
mand the clouds come from afar to execute his will, and who else 
shall dare to direct their course ? Let no one then show his folly and 
impiety in arraigning the wisdom of Providence, and disputing the 
infinity of God ! 



APRIL XVIII. 

OF RESPIRATION. 

Respiration is the most principal and essential function of animal 
life : without it we could not exist ; and speech and the various 
modulations of voice could not take place. It assists us in smelling, 
and imparts the beautiful florid colour to the blood, whilst at the same 
time it renews its vitality. But whence does this great source of life 
proceed? How is it that we breathe? The lungs are the chief or- 
gans by which we are enabled to inspire and expire the air. This 
vise us something resembles a bag, to the upper part of which is 
attached a tube, through which the air enters, and is distributed 
12* S 



138 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

throughout the substance of the lungs by an immense number of 
minute ramifications of vessels. When the air is received into the 
lungs, the abdomen is distended, the ribs expand, and the lower part 
of the sternum or breast bone advances forward. When we expel 
the air in the act of expiration, the abdomen is drawn in, the ribs are 
depressed, and the sternum retires towards the back. 

To facilitate these operations, nature has admirably arranged the 
internal parts of the body ; numerous muscles are continually em- 
ployed during the act of respiration in dilating and contracting the 
cavity of the chest. The structure of the wind-pipe is very remark- 
able ; at the upper part the entrance is defended by a valve, which 
during deglutition closes, and thus prevents any particles of matter 
entering to interrupt respiration and destroy life. The lower portion 
of this organ is equally curious, whether we consider the branches of 
the wind-pipe ramifying through the lungs, or the distribution of the 
veins and arteries which accompany them, that the blood they con- 
tain may receive the beneficial influence of the air. 

Let us then bless the God of nature who has not only given us the 
faculty of respiration, but continues to preserve it free from interrup- 
tion. How grateful ought we to be for such a merciful preservation, 
when so many accidents, without the protection of Providence, might 
destroy this source of life ! Respiration is one of those blessings which 
we every moment enjoy, which claims all the gratitude we are capa- 
ble of feeling, and which merits our constant attention ; for were we 
more frequently to meditate upon the favours we daily receive from 
God, we might be enabled to contemplate with more profit and delight 
the whole of the creation. And may the great God of heaven, in 
whose hands are our lives, our breath, and all that we enjoy, be 
pleased to inspire our souls with those sentiments which dignify our 
nature, and give us the power as well as the will to celebrate his 
infinite goodness, and glorify his name by the purity of our actions ! 



APRIL XIX. 

PROOFS OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD DERIVED FROM THE WORKS OF 

NATURE. 

The most frequent and most striking phenomena which we see, 
either on the earth or in the air, have a manifest tendency to promote 
the advantage and the utility of the animal world. All that'we see 
around us, above our heads, or beneath our feet, conduces to our com- 
fort and to our pleasures. What is more necessary for the preserva- 
tion of our life than food? and we find the earth every where covered 
with alimentary matter. Herbs, grain, and fruits, the support of man 
and beast, are so abundantly diffused over the surface of the earth, 
that there is scarcely any part of it where animals may not find suita- 
ble nourishment. God has not confined his bounty merely to provide 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 139 

for our subsistence and to relieve our necessities ; he has condescended 
to give us every thing that can contribute to our comfort and conveni- 
ence. If it was only necessary that our lives should be preserved, 
water and common roots would be sufficient ; but we are provided 
with a variety of aliment in a most liberal profusion : we do not 
experience in the Creator a rigid economist, who distributes to his 
dependants barely sufficient to preserve them from famishing ; but we 
meet with a profusion of generosity and an abundance of gratifications. 

Such is the munificence of God, that there is scarcely upon the face 
of the whole earth a single tree, herb, or plant, a lake, river, or marsh, 
that does not supply some living creature with shelter and nourish- 
ment. In a tree, for instance, are contained (besides the fruit) bark, 
leaves, and wood ; and each of these parts supports an infinite multi- 
tude of creatures. Caterpillars and various insects feed upon the 
leaves ; others upon the bark and wood ; and there is nothing in 
nature that is not useful to some species of animal. How benevolent 
is that God who never forgets any of the creatures his hands have 
made, and who ever condescends to watch over and provide for their 
necessities. 

'What is more pleasing than the light,' (said the Wise Man.) 
c Truly the light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing to see the sun,' 
whose rays illumine the immense space of heaven, and through the 
day enlighten the earth. Light discovers to us all the riches of 
nature, which without it would be a desert, and all its beauties would 
remain unknown. How graciously God has provided for the pleasure 
of our senses ! He has chosen the softest and most beautiful colours 
to please and gratify the sight : experience teaches that those surfaces 
which reflect the blue and the green rays produce the least injury to 
the eyes, which can bear the sight of them longer than any others. 
Hence we find the goodness of God has clothed the heavens with 
blue, and the earth with green ; these colours are sufficiently vivid 
and gay to produce an agreeable impression upon the eye, whilst they 
are not bright enough to injure and fatigue. They have besides a 
sufficient variety of shades to distinguish objects, and prevent too 
great uniformity. 

Besides plants of every variety of green, the earth presents us with 
flowers of the most beautiful tints, which not only rejoice the eye by 
the pleasing diversity of their colours, but they perfume the air, and 
regale our smell with the most balmy and odoriferous scents. The 
ear also has its share of enjoyment ; it is gratified with the melo- 
dious warbling of the birds, that fill the air with the music of their 
songs. 

With a heart overflowing with joy and gratitude, I venture, ,0 
God ! to exalt thy name and to celebrate thy goodness, How pre- 
cious is thy bounty ! how loving and merciful thy paternal care and 
tender regard ! None of thy creatures are concealed from thy pre- 
sence, none of them are despised or disregarded ; but all without 
exception are the objects of thy Providence, and the subjects of thy 
mercy and love. May thy beneficence and goodness ever he the 



140 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

subject of my meditations, and may my soul never cease to bless thy 
holy name, and to rejoice in the songs of thy praise ! 



APRIL XX. 

BENEFICIAL INFLUENCE OF THE SUN UPON THE CREATION. 

At the approach of spring we behold revolutions which should fill 
every attentive observer with admiration. Nature gradually resumes 
the life she seemed to have lost during the winter ; the earth is over- 
spread with verdure, and the trees open out in bloom. Every where 
new generations of insects and young broods of animals spring forth, 
and, endowed with various degrees of instinct, rejoice in their exist- 
ence. Every thing is animated, every thing revives ; and the new 
life which is manifested in nature, in the vegetable and animal king- 
doms, is produced by the return of that warmth which awakens their 
productions, and puts in motion their recruited powers ; the great 
cause of which is the sun, the source of life, sensation, and joy, whose 
vivifying rays are diffused through all nature. The grain and seeds 
feel his influence, and are unfolded in the bosom of the earth ; by his 
power every plant and vegetable springs up and grows. His approach 
reanimates and strengthens every living creature, and all that live, 
breathe, feel, or vegetate, experience the influence of this powerful 
luminary. 

What could we do if we were deprived of the light and heat of the 
sun 1 How dreary and sad would the earth appear, now become an un- 
inhabitable desert ! And how miserable and comfortless would be the 
few creatures that could then exist ! What a source of joy and pure 
pleasure should we be deprived of, if we were never more to feel the 
genial rays of the rising sun, nor witness the beauty of a serene sky ! 
Nothing could compensate the want of the sun ; the mildest night, the 
most temperate artificial heat, could not supply that vivifying influ- 
ence which the light of the sun communicates to every being, and 
which is entirely different from, and far superior to, any terrestrial fire. 

The salutary influence of the sun is well known to men and ani- 
mals ; an invalid shut up in a warm chamber, with every assistance 
of art, will not gain in many weeks as much strength and vigour as 
he would in a few days from the mild influence of the sun in fine 
spring weather. Plants which an artificial heat forces to spring up, 
never acquire that degree of strength which they do when they are 
acted upon by the rays of the sun ; in this case every thing conspires 
to their perfection, whilst in those produced by artificial heat we only 
perceive the weak and languishing efforts of art to supersede nature. 

But could the sun exist, and communicate to us his heat and light, 
unless he had been formed and received his power and ability of dif- 
fusing it upon the earth by an infinite God, the Creator of all things % 
To him alone we must look up as the Author of all the benefits we 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 141 

receive from that glorious luminary the sun, which in the plenitude 
of his power he has created, and in the perfection of his wisdom di- 
rects in its course, and supports the brilliancy of its fire and the 
splendour of its glory. Every morning he causes it to gild the cham- 
bers of the east, and to diffuse its enlivening influence over the face 
of the earth. Without God we should have neither sun, light, heat, 
nor spring ; to him, therefore, my soul wishes to raise itself, and in 
thought to enjoy the presence of the immortal Being who created the 
sun ; the genial warmth and pure light of which dispose me to reflect 
upon this Parent of light and glory, this everlasting Fountain of all 
that is good, amiable, and delightful. The ignorant heathens, blind- 
ed by superstition and perverted by prejudice, saw this glorious lumi- 
nary disperse the shades of night, and illumine the eastern horizon ; 
they witnessed the regions of the west nightly irradiated by his de- 
parting beams, and they prostrated themselves in adoration, worship- 
ping as a god what is only an effect of divine power. But those who 
are favoured to participate in the light of truth know, that without 
the command of God no sun could exist to illumine and cheer the 
earth ; that without his will no vegetation, life, and fruit, nor any 
.comforts, could be administered to the sons of men ; and that the sun 
is merely the instrument of his goodness, the minister of his will, the 
herald of his glory. 

As the earth, deprived of the light and heat of the sun, would be 
a lifeless desert ; so the heart of man, deprived of the Sun of truth 
and righteousness, would be destitute of joy and true felicity. To 
him we owe all the life, virtue, and happiness our souls possess ; and 
without his saving power we should be like lifeless trunks, without 
leaves or fruit. As all nature languishes for the presence of the sun, 
and longs for his appearance, so may my soul long to feel the sw T eet 
and refreshing influence of Christ, which purifieth and strengtheneth 
the heart unto salvation, and is productive of every good work. 



APRIL XXI. 

RELATIONS THAT ALL CREATURES HAVE TO EACH OTHER. 

The prodigious number of creatures on the earth merits our atten- 
tion ; and still more so do the relative proportion between these and 
the relations which so link and connect this vast variety of beings, 
that they form one regular and perfect whole. 

The extent of the animal kingdom is inconceivable, and yet every 
animal finds a sufficiency of nutriment. No species, however few in 
number, however persecuted, become extinct ; and though many of 
them are the prey of others, the number of rapacious animals is not 
considerable ; most of them are solitary, and they do not multiply ra- 
pidly. Those which are very numerous are satisfied with a moderate 
portion of food, and procure it without much art or labour. Many 



142 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

have enemies to contend with, which prevent them from increasing 
too much ; and some weak and timid animals supply in number what 
they want in strength, or escape from their adversaries by the artifices 
of cunning and the dexterity of address. We may also remark, that 
for the better preservation and multiplication of the species, the pro- 
portion between the two sexes is so equal, that every animal finds a 
mate with which it may consort. 

The mineral kingdom is subservient to the preservation of the 
vegetable, and both of them tend to the advantage of man. The 
most useful plants, as wheat, &c. are most easily multiplied, are less 
liable to spoil, and grow wherever there are men and animals. Those 
animals also which are the most useful are likewise the most abun- 
dant ; and the productions of several climates are suited to the parti- 
cular wants of men. Thus the hottest countries abound in cooling 
and grateful fruits ; in countries liable to great drought there are 
plants and trees which are as springs of water, and relieve the in- 
tense thirst of men and animals. If in any place there it a defi- 
ciency of wood for fuel, there are coals and turf in abundance ; and 
if there are countries destitute of rain and other sources of fertility, 
they are recompensed by beneficial inundations, such as of the Nile 
in Egypt. 

Amongst the human species we also find the proportion between 
the sexes pretty even ; the number of males to that of females being 
as twenty-six to twenty-five. In civil society wealth and talents are 
so admirably distributed, that as every individual may be happy ac- 
cording to the particular circumstances in which he is placed, so no- 
thing essential is wanting to the good of society in general. If the 
inclinations and propensities of men were not so varied ; if their 
tastes and dispositions did not lead them to embrace different kinds of 
life, and to adopt different views ; if there was not such a diversity of 
genius, and such a variety of talent ; such a difference of opinion 
respecting beauty, riches, and every other exterior circumstance ; hu- 
man society would have no charms to interest, no pleasures to invite, 
but would present one constant assemblage of uniform sterility. No 
class of men can live isolated from the rest ; and each country has 
its peculiar advantages, which, if common to all, would do away the 
necessity of the connexion and commerce at present so essential to 
the interest and convenience of each. In short, wherever we cast . 
our view we see nothing but harmony and beautiful proportion. Not- 
withstanding the infinite variety of creatures, and the frequent inter- 
ruption of some of the laws of nature, every thing in this immense 
universe is beautiful, and arranged with the regular proportion and 
admirable perfection which produce the greatest possible good to the 
creation. 

Let us then adore and exalt the great Author of nature, and whilst 
we contemplate the glory and magnificence of his works, sing his 
praises with the gratitude of an overflowing heart ! The greatest 
proofs, and the most pleasing employment, of reason, is to admire the 
wisdom of God ; and though the most profound investigations can 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 143 

penetrate through a very small part of the glory which shrouds the 
works of Omniscience, and the most that we can know is little in 
comparison of what is concealed from our view, we yet discover suffi- 
cient to convince us that the perfection of God is infinite, and his 
power and goodness without bounds ; and may he graciously conde- 
scend more and more to remove the film from our eyes, that we may 
acknowledge him in all his works, and feel in ourselves a degree of 
that divine peace and ineffable love with which he governs the uni- 
verse and arranges the spheres ! 



APRIL XXII. 

OF THE CONSTITUENT PARTS OF WATER. 

When we drink water, if we suppose that we are partaking of a 
pure and simple element, we are deceived ; for naturalists affirm that 
each drop of water is a little world, in which the four elements and 
the three kingdoms of nature are united. There is scarcely any 
water that does not contain much heterogeneous matter, which is 
readily discovered when the water is either distilled or filtered : and 
however incredible this may appear, it is sufficiently proved by the 
most exact and accurate experiments. 

Besides its elementary parts, water contains different earthy parti- 
cles ; such, for example, as belong to the mineral kingdom ; as cal- 
careous earths, nitre, and other salts. This will appear less remark- 
able if we consider how many earthy particles the water must meet 
with and dissolve in its course, or carry along with it. Water also 
contains an inflammable principle, which becomes manifest when in 
a state of corruption ; and it contains a large portion of air, which is 
manifested during ebullition. It possesses heat, which keeps it in its 
fluid state ; for when deprived of its caloric it is congealed, becomes 
heavy, and acquires the hardness of stone. Thus common water 
contains earth, salts, hydrogen or inflammable gas, heat, and air ; 
which proves the truth of the assertion, that all the elements are 
united in a single drop of water. 

But are plants and animals found in it 1 It certainly contains the 
principles of vegetation ; since all plants derive from water their most 
nutritive juices, and are indebted to it for their growth and increase. 
As to the animal kingdom, there is abundant evidence of its existing 
in water ; to say nothing of the fish and other aquatic animals with 
which it is peopled, there is not a single drop of water which has not 
inhabitants perceptible through the microscope ; and we well know 
the facility with which insects are propagated in stagnant waters, 
the germ of which must have previously existed in the water, though 
certain circumstances might have prevented their development. 

The consideration of all these particulars should lead us to reflect 
upon the wise providence of the Creator, who has not by chance 



144 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

formed the waters of so many parts. Were it purely simple, it might 
perhaps make the most pure beverage ; but its medicinal virtues 
would be lost. From the great nutriment which it affords to plants, 
we may naturally suppose that it yields some of the nutritious pro- 
perties it contains to men and animals ; and though in itself it may 
not be very nutritious, it tends to the more perfect solution of our ali- 
ment, and to distribute it more readily through the minuter vessels. 
It is found to be the most wholesome beverage, and one which we 
cannot do without ; the salutary effects of which are often felt when 
every other drink is prejudicial. 

How grateful then ought we to be to God, whose goodness has so 
amply provided for our necessities ! He has prepared for us that kind 
of food and drink which is fittest for our nature, and the most bene- 
ficial to our comfort and health ; and he has imparted a salutary 
virtue to the most ordinary and indispensable means of subsistence. 
Let us' therefore praise God for the water which he has given to allay 
our thirst, and digest our food ; and though we should have nothing 
but bread and water for our sustenance, let us endeavour to be con- 
tented and grateful. Let us implore the blessing of God on what we 
eat, and ask grace to use it with a cheerful and contented mind. 



APRIL XXIII. 

PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 

Vegetables are in general propagated from seed, and in most plants 
the flowers produce the seeds which are to continue and preserve 
their fertility. Almost all flowers are folded within a bud, where 
they are secretly formed, being defended by their tunics and external 
leaves. When the sap begins to flow abundantly at the beginning of 
spring, the blossom swells, the bud expands, the tunics open and fall 
off, leaving the flower in naked beauty. We perceive on the outside 
some very small leaves of different colours, which serve to defend the 
organs of fructification, and probably to prepare the nutritious juice 
which enters those parts. It is, however, in the centre of the flower 
that we discover the organs of fructification. We find there a filament 
or stem, called the pistil, w^hich, particularly in tulips, rises pretty high. 
Round the pistil are the stamina, capped with tops which contain a 
prolific dust, tinged of various hues. These stamina may be con- 
sidered as the proper male organs, destined to impregnate the germs, 
and the pistil the female part which receives the fertilizing dust. 

Vegetables are also propagated by grafts. From the tender branch 
of a tree, when in sap, they detach an eye or beginning of a brand), 
with a part of the bark, and insert it between the bark and wood cf 
another tree, and bind up the whole very gently, by passing flax or 
some soft cord several times round it. From this there proceeds a 
branch of the same nature with the tree from w T hich the eve was first 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 145 

taken, although the tree in which it is inserted be of a quite different 
sort. 

Trees and other woody plants are propagated by slips : thus, for 
instance, a slip is taken from a willow, which, after being stripped of 
its small sprigs, is deposited in the ground ; roots soon proceed from 
those places where branches had begun to appear, and in time it 
becomes a tree. 

Another way of propagating vegetables is by means of roots ; but 
these should have eyes, or they will not grow. Some plants shoot 
forth long filaments in all directions, which have knots or eyes ; these 
extend their fibres in the ground, which become so many new feet 
that may be separated from each other, and then form new plants. 
A bulbous root is a species of eye in which the rudiments of the 
future plant are enclosed, and between its leaves are little bulbs or 
eyes, which enable the plant to be propagated by the leaves to which 
these bulbs are attached. 

What a variety of causes are requisite for the production, preserva- 
tion, and propagation of vegetables ! Granting that the germs al- 
ready existed, what art is required to effect their development, to give 
growth to the plant, to preserve it when arrived at maturity, and to 
perpetuate its species ! How fruitful a mother must the earth be, in 
whose bosom so many tender plants are cherished and derive their 
nutriment ! Water, which also contributes to their support, must be 
composed of all those particles, the assemblage of which favours the 
germination of plants. The sun must put all these in motion, and 
cause the seeds to germinate and the fruits to be matured, by the vivi- 
fying influence of his heat. 

It was necessary to establish a proper balance and a just proportion 
between plants, that on the one hand they might not multiply too 
fast, and on the other that there might always be a sufficient abun- 
dance. It was requisite that the texture, vessels, fibres, and every 
part of the plant, should be so disposed that the sap might penetrate 
them, circulate, and be so prepared and digested, that the plant might 
receive its proper form, size, and strength. It was necessary to deter- 
mine exactly what plants should spring up of themselves, and what 
others should require the care and cultivation of man. The work of 
the generation and propagation of plants is then so complicated and 
intricate, and passes through so many different processes, that it 
would be impossible to develop the great chain of causes and effects 
which produce such wonderful changes. However, we know suffi- 
cient to acknowledge the wisdom and beneficence of the Creator ; 
for who else could have communicated to the elements the power of 
perpetuating vegetables 1 or have given to the sun that light and heat, 
the blessed effects of which upon the earth are so abundantly con- 
spicuous ] It is God alone who has created the constituent parts of 
plants, and who has dispersed them in the air, in the waters, and 
upon the earth ; who has established the laws of motion, formed the 
atmosphere, and produced the sources of rain and clouds. It is God 
who giveth life to seeds, and existence and increase to vegetables ; by 
13 T 



146 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

his order the earth yearly renews her fruits, and each spring restores 
the youth of nature, and each summer perfects her beauty. Let us 
then for ever celebrate the power, the wisdom, and goodness of the 
great Creator of plants as wel-1 as of men ! Let earth and heaven 
proclaim how great and glorious is his holy name, now and through 
all eternity. 



APRIL XXIV. 

DIVERSITY OF TRAITS IN THE HUMAN COUNTENANCE. 

It is an evident proof of the adorable wisdom of God, that though: 
the bodies of men are so similar to each other in their essential parts, 
there is yet such a diversity in their exterior, that they can be readily 
distinguished without the liability of error. Amongst the many mil- 
lions of men existing in the universe, there are no two that are per- 
fectly similar to each other : each one has some peculiarity por- 
trayed in his countenance, or remarkable in his speech ; and this 
diversity of countenance is the more singular, because the parts which 
compose it are very few, and in each person they are disposed accord- 
ing to the same plan. If all things had been produced by blind 
chance, the countenances of men might have resembled one another 
as nearly as balls cast in the same mould, or drops of water out of the 
same bucket : but as that is not the case, we must admire the infinite 
wisdom of the Creator, which, in thus diversifying the traits of the 
human countenance, has manifestly had in view the happiness of 
men ; for if they resembled each other perfectly, they could not be 
distinguished from one another, to the utter confusion and detriment 
of society. We should never be certain of life, nor of the peaceable 
possession of our property ; thieves and robbers would run little risk 
of detection, for they could neither be distinguished by the traits of 
the countenance nor the sound of their voice. Adultery, and every 
crime that stains humanity, might be practised with impunity, since 
the guilty would rarely be discovered ; and we should be continually 
exposed to the machinations of the villain and the malignity of the 
coward : w T e could not shelter ourselves from the confusion of mistake, 
nor from the treachery and fraud of the deceitful ; all the efforts of 
justice would be useless, and commerce would be the prey of error 
and uncertainty : in short, the uniformity and perfect similarity of 
faces would deprive society of its most endearing charms, and destroy 
the pleasure and sweet gratification of individual friendship. The 
variety of features, then, constitutes part of the plan of divine go- 
vernment, and is a strong proof of God's tender care over us ; for it is 
very evident that he has disposed the particular parts of the body 
with as much wisdom as he has manifested in its general structure, 
and we are compelled to admire his beautiful and wise arrangement 
in this as well as in every other part of the creation. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 147 

APRIL XXV. 

THE UNIVERSAL CARE OF GOD OVER HIS CREATURES. 

All the creatures which live in the air, in the waters, and upon the 
earth, enjoy the care of Providence ; by which they are maintained 
in their particular states, and live, thrive, and propagate their species ; 
each according to the faculties it has received, and in its own par- 
ticular nature, fulfilling' the end for which it had existence upon 
the earth. Animals destitute of reason are provided with organs, 
strength, and sagacity, adapted to their several destinations. Their 
instinct teaches them what is dangerous or hurtful, and enables them 
to seek, discern, aud prepare, the aliment and the habitation destined 
for them. All this is involuntary, it is not the result of choice and 
reflection ; they are irresistibly impelled to it by propensities which a 
Superior Power has given them for the preservation and support of 
their lives. They find suitable food and convenient habitations, and 
no species of animals is destitute of what is necessary to its subsist- 
ence and well-being. 

Man is of a superior nature, but he comes into the world in a state 
of greater feebleness, and has much more need of assistance than 
most other animals. His faculties, necessities, and desires, are greater 
and more numerous, as well as more urgent, and require more care 
and attention : hence we find he is more favoured with the regard, 
and more cherished by the blessings of divine Providence. The 
earth, the air, and the water, the clouds, and the reflected light of 
the luminous spheres revolving in space, contribute in an abundant 
and diversified manner to the preservation and happiness of man. 
God has distributed his blessings to all intelligent beings with an im- 
partial love, and he has subjected to their dominion creatures destitute 
of reason, whose lives and strength are employed in their service. 

What again particularly merits our attention is, that all the habita- 
ble parts of the earth afford a sufficient degree of nutriment to the 
creatures which live there. Thus, not only the fertile bosom of the 
earth, but the vast plains of air, and the depths of the sea, teem with 
alimentary matter suitable for the support of the innumerable multi- 
tudes that exist in these elements. The treasures of divine bounty 
are infinite ; and the provision that God has prepared for all his crea- 
tures answer every want, supply every necessity, and can never be 
exhausted. The world does not decay, and the sun daily shines with 
his wonted light and accustomed heat. The fertility of the earth 
does not diminish ; the seasons regularly succeed each other ; and 
the fields never fail to offer their annual tribute of fruit for the support 
of the animal world. 

Whether we consider the constancy, the riches, or the diversity of 
the means of subsistence which nature affords in all situations, we 
always perceive the traces of an all-bountiful Providence. All things 
which surround us, and which serve to support us and procure the 



148 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

comforts and pleasures of life, are so many visible means, so many 
open channels, by which our Preserver and glorious Benefactor distri- 
butes his favours and diffuses his blessings. The agents of nature are 
the ministers which fulfil the designs of Providence ; the world is as 
his magazine, from which we draw all that we need ; and it is only 
to his parental care, and that ineffable goodness, the essence of divine 
nature, that we owe all these benefits. 

Father of the creation ! in whom we have life, motion, and being, 
how extensive and inexpressible is thy compassion, and how merci- 
fully thou rulest all things by the word of thy wisdom ! At thy com- 
mand the dews of heaven descend to refresh the thorn as well as the 
cedar, and the lot of mortals is in thy hands, and in thee their felicity: 
thou art their supreme good, and thy fatherly cares are extended over 
all the children of humanity ! Thy merciful goodness causeth the 
sun to shine alike on all thy creation ; and at thy command the gen- 
tle breezes waft the perfuming balm of the rose, and the air smells 
sweet with ever-freshening odours ; the most delicious fruits rejoice 
our taste, and the soft showers fall to revive drooping nature ! Thy 
gifts are proportioned to the necessities of thy creatures, and thou 
causest the righteous to partake of the sweet and saving influence of 
thy grace ! Thou givest to the bee the nectar of the flowers, to the 
worm the drop that quenches his thirst, and to the world the rays of 
the sun ! 



APRIL XXVI. 

FLOWERS WHICH BLOOM IN APRIL. 

The nearer that charming month approaches, when we shall see 
the country, gardens, and meadows, arrayed in all their beauty, the 
more does the dreary aspect we have so long witnessed clear up, and 
nature more evidently throws off her wild appearance. Every day 
discloses some new beauty, and every hour hastens the perfection of 
nature. The fresh grass already sprung up is browsed by the flocks 
with avidity ; the young corn begins to appear, and the gardens to 
smile. Here and there the budding flowers invite our attention ; and 
the sweetly-modest violet is one of the earliest that scents the air of 
spring. The flowerets of the beauteous hyacinth, gradually rising 
above the leaves, at once please the eye and gratify the smell, by the 
richness of their tints and the fragrance of their perfume. 

The imperial crown throws out a number of stellated leaves ; its 
stem rises high, and its red and yellow bell-shaped flowers inclining 
towards the earth, form a sort of crown surmounted by a tuft of 
leaves. From the midst of its leaves the auricula raises its stem, 
supporting a bunch of flowers, the circular edge of which exceeds the 
richness of velvet and the softness of satin. The tulip opens out 
more slowly, scarcely yet daring to unfold its beauty, lest the night 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 149 

air or chilling blasts should suddenly nip its opening charms and 
destroy its infant splendour. The ranunculus, the pink, and the rose, 
hide their beauties till milder weather permits them to bloom in 
safety. 

An attentive observer will find in these delightful objects great 
cause to admire the wisdom and goodness of God; it is with the 
wisest views that, at the return of spring, each plant begins precisely 
in the time and in the order prescribed to it to develop its leaves, put 
forth its buds, and prepare for the production of fruit. 

In the vegetable kingdom one species succeeds to another from the 
commencement to the termination of the year ; scarcely are some 
visible when others are ready to appear, and these are followed by 
others, which spring up each in its turn and allotted time. Whilst 
one plant brings its fruit to maturity, nature excites another to propa- 
gate, that its fruits may be ready when the other has accomplished its 
end. Thus we constantly receive a succession of flowers and fruits ; 
there is never any want, and from one end of the year to the other 
Nature watches over and preserves her productions. 

The flowers of spring, which we contemplate with so much de- 
light, should induce us to reflect upon youth, the flower and spring of 
life. Like them, youth grow up amiable and beautiful, with a thou- 
sand charms and opening virtues that cause them to be admired and 
loved ; but as the north wind sometimes sweeps over the fairest flow- 
ers of spring, blasting in its course the rich hyacinth and the lovely 
violet, so the pride of beauty and the glory of youth are often nipped 
in the bud, and fade ere their opening charms are perfected. Beset 
with dangers and surrounded by misfortune, the horizon of youth often 
lowers, and obscurity renders dreary their morn of life ; or if brighter 
prospects gladden their path, they are suddenly wrapped in night, and 
involved in gloom. Let no one, then, in the vanity of his heart, boast 
because he abounds in the pleasures of youth, or exult in his superior 
endowments : for the days of man are as grass ; as a flower of the 
field he flourisheth ; the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the 
place thereof shall know it no more.'* 



APRIL XXVII. 

RETURN OF THE BIRDS. 

Numerous species of birds at the beginning of winter emigrate to 
other countries ; some in search of a milder climate and others to find 
secure retreats and warm shelter in caves, holes, and retired places. 
These birds return to us when the gentle mildness of the spring ad- 
vances ; it soon awakens the swallows, and a secret instinct brings 
back the others which had traversed the seas to far-distant countries, 

* Psal. ciii. 16. 



150 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

an search of that subsistence and temperature which their nature 
required. 

Their return is generally in such an order, that those which went 
away the latest are the first which come back. The air will soon 
become repeopled with its feathered songsters ; the nightingale will 
again rejoice the groves with its melody, the twittering swallow 
resume her former nest, and the stork again inhabit the retreat she 
left at the beginning of winter. In a few weeks the skies will once 
more be gladdened with the joyful songs of the returning choristers, 
and the valleys will resound with their swelling notes. 

Two circumstances in the emigration of birds particularly claim our 
attention ; they know exactly the time when to return, and the 
direction they are to take. c The stork in heavens knoweth her ap- 
pointed time ; and the turtle and the crane, and the swallow, observe 
the time of their coming.'* No doubt the temperature of the air, and 
the natural propensity of creatures to produce and rear up their young, 
are powerful motives to influence them to a change of abode. But 
besides these, there is a very singular and in some respects inapplica- 
ble, instinct, which prompts them to it. How astonishing, that these 
timid animals deprived of reason, should know exactly the direction 
they are to take, and how far to go ! Without compass to steer, and 
guide to direct, without provisions, they undertake and finish, in the 
most regular order, a voyage which is sometimes many hundred miles 
in extent ! 

Who marks out to them their tract through the devious air 1 Who 
informs them of the length of the way they have passed, and of that 
they have yet to accomplish ] And who is it that guides their flight 
and supplies them with every necessary during the voyage ? Which- 
ever way we consider these facts, we must discover and acknowledge 
the manifestation of a power superior to mere animal instinct ; we 
must confess the influence of God, and own the effects of his Almighty 
power. It is to him the birds are indebted for that instinct which 
they blindly obey ; he pointeth out to them the country, and the very 
trees and shelter, where they may dwell in security ; he conducteth 
their distant migrations, and listeneth to their cries when they call for 
nourishment ; and he who hearkeneth unto the feeble birds will never 
forsake his children, nor suffer the deserving to perish. 



APRIL XXVIII. 

THE UTILITY OF FORESTS. 

During the winter, which is just past, many people have experi- 
enced the great advantage of forests ; which have furnished us with 
fuel at a time when the intensity of the cold was severely felt. But 

* Jer. viii. 17. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 151 

this is far from being their only, or even their principal, use ; else why 
do those immense forests exist, to form an uninterrupted chain through 
whole provinces and kingdoms % 

May not one end of their creation be the pleasure we derive from 
their appearance 1 they form one of the greatest beauties of nature, 
and it is always regarded as an imperfection in a country to be desti- 
tute of woods and thickets. Our impatience when the leaves in spring 
are backward in appearing, and the delight we experience when at 
length they open out, proves how much they adorn and embellish 
nature. Whilst reflecting upon the utility of woods, we should not 
forget the fruits which the numerous species of trees produce * for 
though there are some trees whose fruits do not appear to be of any 
use to man, the trees which bear them are always useful, whether for 
their beauty only, or the advantages of their foliage and wood. 

And if we properly reflect, we shall acknowledge that those trees 
which are called barren are nevertheless of great use ; they nourish 
and support a variety of insects, which serve as food for those birds 
which afford us sustenance and the most exquisite dainties. The 
acorns of the several species of oaks, chestnuts, and various other 
productions of trees, are the favourite aliment of swiue and wild boars : 
and have we not sometimes known these fruits become the food of 
man 1 And they are farther useful in being the seed which perpetu- 
ates the forests. How many animals find a shelter and an existence 
in the woods, which without them must perish ! and of how many 
conveniences, utensils, and medicines, should we not be deprived, if 
we had no wood, bark, or roots ! and how dull and sterile would the 
earth appear, if no trees waved their verdant heads above its surface, 
and if no groves diversified its plains ! Forests then being of the most 
essential use to mankind, Nature herself has the care of perpetuating 
them. If their preservation and increase had been abandoned to the 
casual vigilance and industry of men, they would long since have 
perished. But the Creator himself has preserved the trees of the 
forest ; he alone has planted and supported them. He disperses the 
small seeds over the country, and gives them wings, that they 
may be more easily wafted by the wings to the distant places destined 
to receive them. He alone has caused those large trunks to rise up 
majestically In the air, and meet the clouds with their spreading 
foliage ; it is he who has established them firmly in the earth, where 
their branching roots enable them to defy the winds and brave the 
storm ; and he waters them with his dew, and refreshes them with 
his rain ; their beautiful verdure yearly returns, and they seem to 
preserve a perpetual life. 

Merciful Father ! thy goodness extends over all the earth; every 
where the traces of thy beneficence and the effects of thy wisdom 
appear ; in the fields and in the groves, in the wild desert and in the 
flowery mead, thou hast erected monuments of thy goodness, and 
placed memorials of thy bounty ; and the season is now approaching 
when I can sit beneath the shade of the spreading oaks, and, whilst 
my heart swells with love and gratitude, pour forth the feelings of my 



152 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

soul in songs of joy and hymns of adoration in praise of thee, and in 
celebration of thy holy name. 



APRIL XXIX. 

PLEASURES DERIVED FROM THE CONTEMPLATION OF NATURE'. 

Nature, with maternal kindness, offers to all her children the most 
delightful and universal, as well as the least expensive, of all pleasures. 
Such our first parents enjoyed in Paradise, and it is only depravity 
which leads men to delight in other recreations. Mankind are ac- 
customed to despise the blessings which they daily enjoy, and seek for 
amusements that afford them pleasure from their variety, and a suc- 
cession of delight from their novelty : while the pleasures of nature 
exceed all others, are open to every one, and their enjoyment never 
leaves behind it the sting of remorse, or the tears of repentance. But 
we are so selfish as to disregard the charms of nature, because they 
are alike open to the e}''es of the poor as to those of the rich ; and so 
foolish as to despise them, because of their cheapness; whereas 
nothing should gratify us more than to know, the same objects which 
cause our delight constitute the happiness of millions. Compared 
with the noble and affecting pleasure such a consideration excites, how 
frivolous and deceitful are all those costly amusements, which delight 
the rich and please the foolish ! their enjoyment often ends with dis- 
gust, and leaves as its portion a painful vacancy of soul ; whilst nature, 
ever rich and bountiful, continually varies her charms, and offers new 
beauties to the admiring observer. 

All the pleasures which are the effects of art are of short duration, 
and fleeting as the dream, the illusions of which vanish when we 
awake. But the exercise of reason, and the ever-varying pleasures 
of the imagination, last for ever, and derive new strength from con- 
templating the works of nature, which calls forth all the finer feel- 
ings of the heart. To see the starry heavens, the earth variegated 
with flowers, a thousand different landscapes, and prospects vying 
with each other in beauty ; and to listen to the evening song of the 
nightingale wafted on the breeze, whilst all nature is retiring to re- 
pose ; will ever fill our souls with delight, and gratify all our feelings. 
If any one is insensible to these beauties, and unaffected by their 
charms, it must be owing to his depravity, or the stupidity which he 
has acquired from inattention. The great science of Christianity 
consists in the innocent enjoyment of every good which surrounds 
us ; and he who practises this, possesses the art of deriving the means 
of happiness from every circumstance that does not injure his virtue, 
his intellect, or his feelings. Beneficent Creator ! thou art mindful 
of us in this beautiful season, and providest us with abundant sources 
of pleasure ! Thou continually causest new springs of delight to 
open, and our hearts are filled with joy and gladness ! If we desire 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 153 

to elevate our hearts to thee, to indulge in holy meditation, and to 
enjoy celestial bliss, nature often offers us the most ample means. 
May we ever prefer this exalted satisfaction before all the pleasures of 
sense ! In these sweet days of spring, may the enjoyment of nature's 
purer pleasures be more grateful to us than the allurements of sen- 
sual gratifications, which neither dignify the mind nor purify the 
heart! Teach us, O Lord, to acknowledge thy divine power and 
goodness ; for it is by seeking to know thee in the varied and nume- 
rous works of thy creation, that we open to ourselves a pure and in- 
exhaustible source of delight, and are enabled to enjoy, in this state 
of existence, a foretaste of the felicity which the righteous shall ex- 
perience in thy presence for ever and ever ! 



; APRIL XXX. 

THE GLORY OP GOD SEEN IN THE CREATION OP ANIMALS. 

Animals, instead of being abused, should be treated with all pos- 
sible kindness ; and, to enable us to do this better, we should consi- 
der them as subjects in which we may glorify God. All creatures 
may serve this purpose, but none so well as the animal creation. 
Every plant, tree, flower, and stone, bears the impression of the gran- 
deur and glory of the Creator ; but in the animal kingdom it is still 
more manifest. Examine the structure of any single living creature, 
and what art, beauty, and wonderful mechanism, do we discover ! 
and how these are multiplied, when we consider the prodigious num- 
ber and immense variety of animals, forming one uninterrupted chain 
from the elephant to the little mite seen through a microscope ! What 
links, order, and relations, exist amongst all creatures ! All is har- 
mony ; and if upon a superficial view we suppose we have discovered 
any imperfection, we shall soon find it was our ignorance led us to 
such an enormous conclusion. 

It is not necessary that each individual should make deep researches 
into the nature of animals, or that every one should become a pro- 
found naturalist ; it is merely sufficient to pay attention to what is 
well known and most common, to what may come under the obser- 
vation of all. We see, for instance, a variety of animals formed in 
an admirable manner, which live, feel, and move, as we do ; which, 
like us, are subject to hunger, thirst, and cold ; and which conse- 
quently stand in daily need of having their necessities supplied. To 
all these creatures God has given life ; he preserves them, and pro- 
vides for their wants ; he watches over them as the father of a family 
over his household. From this we may conclude, that God has the 
goodness and tenderness of a father ; and if his cares thus extend to 
animals, what will he not do for man 1 If it be his chief desire to 
render the lives of creatures devoid of reason comfortable and happy, 
what may we not expect from his beneficence ] Let the imbecile and 



154 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

distrustful man blush for his doubts and anxieties, who, when abun- 
dance is no longer his portion, despondingly anticipates the dread of 
poverty, and fears that his Creator will suffer him to perish for want. 
We may rest assured that he who supplies the necessities of every 
animal will administer to us the necessaries of life. 

The instinct of animals gives us fresh cause to admire the Supreme 
Being, who has so wisely combined the means with the end. As the 
instinct of animals tends particularly to their preservation, it is most 
observable in the love and tender solicitude they feel for their young ; 
and as the strongest instance of parental care, our Saviour makes 
use of the image of a hen gathering her young under her wings. It 
is certainly a very pleasing sight to see the strong affection which a 
hen bears to her young ones, and the continual care she takes of 
them ; she never ceases to watch over them, flies to their assistance 
at the least appearance of danger, boldly opposes every aggressor, and 
hazards her own life to save her young. She calls them, and reani- 
mates them with her maternal voice ; extends her wings to receive 
and cover them ; and neglects every convenience for herself, whilst 
she thinks of nothing but the safety and well-being of the objects of 
her affection. Every one must acknowledge in this the effects of in- 
finite wisdom ; for without this maternal solicitude, this instinct, so 
powerful and so superior to every thing, the chickens must perish, 
and the species soon become extinct. It cannot be said that the hen 
acts thus for her young with any understanding or reflection ; or that 
she judges, reasons, foresees, combines, and draws inferences. She 
does it from the operation of that instinct which she has received from 
the liberal hand of nature, without study and without application. 
It is then the duty of man to seek in animals an occasion to glo- 
rify God ; and as our attention increases and our observations be- 
come more extensive, our knowledge will be improved, and the plea- 
sure we receive from these investigations will be more frequent and 
exquisite. 



MAY I. 

HYMN ON THE BEAUTIES OF SPRING. 

Blessed children of God ! open your hearts to joy ! See the Spring 
walking forth in beauty and gayety. Contemplate the verdure of 
the fields and the flowers of the meadows, whose fruits will soon 
bring us the sweets of abundance. Yonder tree, which not long since 
appeared devoid of life and vigour, is now decked with blossoms that 
promise an abundant harvest. 

How beautiful is nature ! How graceful her ornaments ! Every 
animal, mead, wood, and field, revives, and, together with man, re- 
ioices in a new existence. The lark soars aloft, till her sweet carols 
faintly die away on the breeze ; the pigeons, in many a giddy whirl, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 155 

fly round the flowery plain ; and the plaintive melody of the night- 
ingale pours from the groves, and amongst the flowers, the soft notes 
that are heard in the vales, or, louder swelling, fill the hills and woods. 
Here the fruitful hen guides, protects, and shelters with her wing, the 
feeble, unfledged little ones, which nature has entrusted to her care. 
The swallow, leaving her nest, immediately returns to the calls of 
tenderness, and brings her young the desired nourishment. The corn 
springs up in luxuriance, and promises abundantly to reward the toils 
of the labourer, who joyfully anticipates his future blessings. Men 
plant, but the vivifying rays and fertilizing showers descend from hea- 
ven. The heat of the sun ripens the fruits of the earth, and causes 
the life-invigorating juice to flow from the vine. The most humble 
and abject of the sons of men, when animated with celestial radi- 
ance, and favoured to drink of the living waters from on high, be- 
comes the honour of humanity, and the messenger of the power and 
glory of God. 



MAY I. 

SYSTEM OF THE WORLD. 

Of all the parts which form the mundane system, the sun is the 
most striking and interesting. His form is spherical, and from him 
continually emanates an inexhaustible stream of luminous particles. 
By the telescope we discover in him certain spots by which we can 
ascertain that he turns round his axis. His distance from the earth 
is eighty-two millions of miles, and he is one million of times larger. 
He communicates his light to at least twenty opaque globes that re- 
volve round him at different distances. The nearest to him is the 
planet Mercury, which is seldom seen, and little known. Next is 
Venus, called both a morning and an evening star ; because she some- 
times precedes the sun, and sometimes follows after him. After Venus 
comes our own planet, the external surface of which is composed of 
earth and water, of mountains and valleys, and its internal parts of 
beds and strata of different substances. This earth is the abode of a 
multitude of creatures, animate and inanimate ; plants, metals, and 
animals. The moon revolves round the earth, and accompanies it in 
its revolution round the sun. She is fifty times less than the earth, 
and on her surface we discover several brilliant spots, as well as some 
which are opaque. If the surface of the moon was entirely level, 
the rays of light would be equally reflected from every part, and we 
could not then observe these spots, of which the brighter were for- 
merly supposed to be continents, whilst those of a darker and more 
opaque appearance were considered as seas, appearing dark from their 
absorbing the rays of light : but later observations have proved, that 
they are only vast cavities which do not reflect the sun's light so 



156 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

strongly ; that the luminous parts are plain superficies, and those that 
are most brilliant are lofty mountains. 

The remaining planets in our system are, Mars ; Jupiter, and his 
four moons ; Saturn, and his seven ; and Herschel or Georgium Si- 
dus, and his six moons. Saturn is at such an immense distance from 
the sun that he is nearly thirty years in performing his revolution. 
The vast dominion of the sun, above a thousand millions of miles, is 
but a part of the universe ; for each of the fixed stars is a sun, equal 
in magnitude and brilliancy to that which enlightens our sphere. 
Such is the grandeur of God, and such his glory, displayed in these 
admirable works ; which invite us to pay our tribute of admiration, 
reverence, and praise, to the Being which formed them ! Is there any 
thing in nature more proper to inspire in us exalted ideas of the Deity 
than the aspect of the heavens, nightly irradiated with thousands of 
revolving spheres ! May we never view them without feeling the 
most lively sense of the munificence and grandeur of him who haa 
created all things, and continues to preserve them with wisdom and 
rule them with merciful goodness. 



MAY II. 

BLOSSOMS OF TREES 

Our gardens and fields are now decorated with the beauties of 
spring, and every part of Europe presents the most delightful aspect. 
The eternal word of the Creator, pronounced when he formed the 
world, has produced all these effects ; his all-creating hand has again 
renovated the earth, and in a measure created it anew for the plea- 
sure and happiness of his creatures. It is God alone who calls for the 
spring and orders it to appear. Approach, O man, and try what thy 
wisdom and thy power can execute ! Canst thou make one tree to 
blossom, or one leaf to germinate 1 Canst thou call from the earth 
the smallest blade of grass, or order the tulip to rise in all its splen- 
dour 1 Contemplate these flowers ; examine them with attention. 
Can they be more perfect, can their colours be more beautifully blend- 
ed, or their forms more elegantly proportioned ? Can the pencil of 
the painter equal the warmth of the blossoming peachy or imitate the 
richness of a cherry-tree in bloom ? So far from imitating, no one 
can conceive all the beauties of renovated nature : and if there were 
no other proofs of the power and wisdom of God on the earth, the 
flowers of spring would sufficiently display them. Every tree that 
blossoms, every plant, every flower, manifests a portion of that wis- 
dom and beneficence so abundantly diffused through the earth. There 
is an infinite diversity among the blossoms of trees ; though all beau- 
tiful, they differ in degree, one surpassing another ; but there are 
none which do not possess some beauty peculiar to themselves. Some 
have flowers of a pure white ; others have streaks of red and shades, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 157 

and add to beauty and elegance the most exquisite fragrance. But 
all these multiplied varieties do not affect their fecundity. 

From the consideration of these circumstances, we may receive 
profit and instruction. We may reflect, that, though we are not fa- 
voured with the same advantages that some possess, we should nei- 
ther be discouraged nor afflicted. The privation of some accidental 
benefits can in no degree injure our well-being. Though we may 
not be quite so rich, so powerful, or so handsome, as some are, these 
are trifling things in the estimation of the virtuous and the wise ; for 
without them we can be equally happy, equally useful to our fellow- 
creatures, and equally pleasing to God. True beauty consists in the 
works of piety, and the fruits of virtue. The blossoms, of a fruit- 
bearing tree please more than the splendour of the tulip, or the rich- 
ness of the auricula ; because from the one we expect, when the blos- 
soms are over, to receive fruit ; while the others please for a moment, 
and are seen no more. Let us not then prefer the mere lustre and 
charms of external beauty : the rosy tints of health, the elegance of 
form, and the freshness of youth, are fleeting, and soon fade ; they 
alone cannot secure present peace, nor durable happiness. Those 
blossoms only which promise fruit worthy of God, and useful to man- 
kind, deserve our regard, and merit our approbation. As the beau- 
ties of the blossoming trees hastily perish, so will the youth, now in 
the spring of life, fluttering in the gayety of their charms. Let us, 
then, whilst in the morn of life, and in the vigour of health, prepare, 
by study and application, to produce in the evening of our days, when 
divested of all external charms, abundant fruits of piety, of virtue, 
and of knowledge. 



MAY III. 

OP THE CONTINUAL REVOLUTIONS AND CHANGES THAT TAKE PLACE 

IN NATURE. 

Motion and change seem necessary to the preservation of the cor- 
poreal world. If we pay the least attention to what passes on the 
globe which we inhabit, we shall be convinced that the smallest par- 
ticle of matter in the universe cannot be considered as in a state of 
absolute and continued rest. , 

The earth turns round its axis once in twenty-four hours, and by 
this motion all the points of its surface change their situation with 
more or less rapidity. Under the line or equator, where this motion is 
performed with greater celerity, each body is carried more than one 
thousand miles every hour, besides the annual revolution of the earth 
round the sun, which is at the astonishing rate of fifty-eight thousand 
miles every hour. This motion is not perceptible, but the relative 
motion of earthly bodies is more observable. Small streams uniting 
form greater, till at length torrents and rivers are formed, which again 
14 



158 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

are lost in the sea. Water is also raised in exhalations, and forms 
clouds, which produce the rain, snow, and fogs ; from these, streams 
are formed, which once more enter the sea; and tides, storms, and 
torrents, keep the water in perpetual motion. The atmosphere is not 
less in a state of rest. Between the tropics an east wind continually 
blows ; and in other places, where no agitation is perceptible, the ther- 
mometer and barometer prove that the air is never perfectly calm : 
and the frequency of meteors sufficiently evinces the continuance of 
its motion. 

The surface of the earth is also subject to frequent revolutions : the 
hardest rocks cleave, and stones gradually wear away, or break into 
small particles ; some lands sink down, others are inundated, and 
some are removed b}r earthquakes. Hills are swept away, and val- 
leys are filled up ; marshes are drained and become covered with 
trees ; the depths of the sea are made to wave with corn : and that 
which was land is now water. Light succeeds to darkness, cold to 
heat, and wet to drought ; and bodies are continually experiencing 
alterations, many of which are imperceptible. To these we may add 
the changes to which animal life" is subject ; and we shall then be 
able to form some idea of the continual revolutions of nature. Man 
himself is continually losing a portion of his substance by the process 
of perspiration, and in a few years is clothed with an entirely new 
body. Thus every thing upon the earth is in motion, every thing 
alternately grows and perishes ; and to be born and to die, is the lot 
of all created beings. These continual revolutions are salutary warn- 
ings, and teach us that this present world is not the abode for which 
we are destined. When I consider the perpetual changes and con- 
stant vicissitudes incident to all terrestrial objects, I feel the vanity 
and insignificance of earthly things ; and from the frailty and short- 
ness of this life anticipate a better and more perfect state in a future 
world. Every thing cries aloud that we are only as travellers upon 
the earth, who have a certain time to sojourn, and then accomplish 
the end and receive the reward of our pilgrimage. And in the midst 
of these changes and revolutions the pure and devout soul receives 
consolation and support from the contemplation of an almighty and 
eternal Being, who, though the mountains shake, and the hills leave 
their places, the seas be agitated and tossed by the fierce storm, and 
all earthly bodies return to original dust, still exists the same, regarding 
his children with compassionating love, and assisting the helpless in 
ihe hour of necessity, and in the day of tribulation. 



MAY IV. 

AN INVITATION TO SEEK GOD IN THE WORKS OP NATURE. 

Awaken, O my soul, from the slumbers which have so long be- 
numbed thy faculties, and attentively regard the surrounding objects. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 159 

Reflect upon thy own nature, and upon that of other creatures ; con- 
sider their origin, structure, form, and utility, with every additional 
circumstance that can fill thee with love and adoration of the all-wise 
Creator. When thou seest the variegated and brilliant colours of the 
heavens, the lustre of the numerous stars that irradiate them, and 
the light reflected from a thousand beauteous objects, ask thyself 
whence all these proceed 1 Who has formed the immense vault of 
heaven 1 Who has placed in the firmament those exhaustless fires, 
those constellations whose rays shoot through such an inconceivable 
space 1 And who directs their course with the beauty of order, and 
the harmony of regularity, and commands the sun to enlighten and 
make fruitful the earth] Thou wilt answer, the everlasting God, at 
whose word the creation arose fair and beautiful, whose wisdom still 
directs it, and whose mercy still operates for the felicity of all man- 
kind. His hand has established the foundations of the mountains, 
and raised their summits above the clouds ; He has clothed them with 
trees, and beautified them with flowers and verdure ; and He has 
drawn from their bosoms the rivers and streams which irrigate the 
earth. To the flowers of the field He has given their beauty, and 
fragrance, far exceeding all the combinations of art and efforts of skill. 
All the creatures that are seen in the air, in the waters, and on the 
earth, owe to Him their existence, and the possession of that instinct 
which is their preservation ; and man, in himself a world of wonders, 
looks up to God as his Creator and Protector. 

Let our chief care and most pleasing duty be henceforth to seek for 
the knowledge of God in the contemplation of his works. There is 
nothing in the heavens or upon the earth which does not impress upom 
our minds the wonderful wisdom and admirable beneficence of the 
Creator, to whom, in the midst of the revolutions of nature, let us 
raise our thoughts, and pour forth the joyful accents of our love and 
gratitude. 



MAY V. 

MORNING. 

When Aurora first peeps, and dissipates the shades of night, we 
seem to enjoy a new creation. The faint streaks that mark the 
eastern horizon soon become more vivid, and the morning breaks with 
beauty ; we begin to distinguish the verdure of the hills, the opening 
flowers, . and the pure streams that water the meads. The horizon 
becomes more luminous, the clouds assume the most beautiful tints, 
and the ^charms of the distant valleys open upon us ; the breath of 
the hawthorn is sweet, the dew-drops upon the flowers show the pure 
lustre of pearls, and nature rejoices in her existence. The first sun- 
beam darts from behind the mountains that skirt the horizon, and 
plays upon the earth ; more succeed, and the brilliancy increases, till 



160 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

the disk of the luminary encircled in glory is visible, and the sun 
shines in full refulgence ; he gains the mid-heaven and no eye can 
sustain his glory. 

When I stand upon the summit of some lofty cliff, and see the star 
of day slowly rise out of the ocean that foams beneath, I feel a 
mingled sensation of sublimity, awe, and adoration ; I think of the 
.nflnite God, the Creator of the sun, and in the beauties of the rising 
day acknowledge his power and wisdom. With the lark, that caroll- 
ing in the air, meets the morning, and by the sweetness of his strains 
proclaims the arrival of day, I soar in thought into the regions of 
glory, and hail the great source of light. The joy and gayety of all 
nature, and the raptures of the creation, raise in my breast the strong- 
est emotions of gratitude, whilst my heart swells with delight, and 
every sense is ecstacy. Yet there are many thousands of human 
beings who have never known the pleasure of such sensations, nor 
even experienced the gratification of viewing the morning sun ; who 
prefer the drowsy influence of their bed, and the confined limits of 
their gloomy chamber, to the freshness of morning and the brilliancy 
of day. 



MAY VI. 

VISION. 



To enable us to perceive external objects, it is requisite that rays of 
light be reflected from them. These rays are transmitted to the eye, 
passing through the transparent cornea, by whose convexity they are 
united into a focus, through the aqueous humour and pupil of the eye, 
into the crystalline lens, which condenses them more ; and after this 
concentration, they penetrate the vitreous humour, and impress on 
the retina the images of external objects ; and the optic nerves, of 
which the retina is an expansion, convey these impressions to the 
mind, which forms perceptions and ideas according to the different 
sensations excited by the object presented. 

The faculty of vision is one of the most wonderful properties of 
human nature, and particularly merits our attention. Though the 
image of external objects is painted upon the retina in an inverted 
position, we yet see them in their proper situation. And what is still 
more admirable with such a small organ as the eye, we perceive the 
largest objects, and take in the whole of their dimensions. From 
the height of a tower we see at a distance the numerous buildings of 
a large city painted upon our retina with the utmost exactness and 
precision, notwithstanding the extreme minuteness of the organ which 
receives so many millions of rays without confusion. From the top- 
mast we see the ocean covered with a vast fleet, and waves innume- 
rable undulating around us ; from each of which rays of light must 
penetrate the eye, whose volume is so minute. Or, having gained 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 161 

the summit of some lofty mountain, if we direct our view over the 
distant plains, every object that we notice reflects a number of rays 
upon our organs of vision, or we could not distinguish the purling 
brooks, nor the flowery meads. Rays of light not only pass from 
\hese objects to our eyes, they are transmitted to every part of the 
surrounding atmosphere ; hence, wherever we pass within a certain 
distance, the same objects are still visible, the rays constantly pro- 
ceeding from them, whether they meet the focus of our eye or not. 

So far we are able to explain the wonders of vision, but beyond this 
all is darkness : it has pleased the Almighty Creator to conceal from 
our limited understanding the immediate connexion between matter 
and mind ; we know the image of external objects is reflected on the 
retina, and that the mind takes cognizance of it, and here we must 
rest satisfied ; for to explain the manner in which we see these objects 
is impossible. 



MAY VII. 

SPRING RENEWS THE FACE OF THE EARTH. 

How great a change has taken place throughout nature ! The 
earth, which has reposed during the winter, resumes its fertility, and 
all the creation rejoices. A few weeks since, every thing was deso- 
late, and wore the aspect of sterility ; the vallies now so beautiful were 
buried in snow, and the mountains, whose blue summits pierce the 
clouds, were shrouded in thick mist. In those verdant avenues where 
now dwells the nightingale, were only seen withered branches and 
leafless trunks. The rivers and streams which now flow murmuring 
along their channels, were arrested in their course, and rendered 
motionless by ice. The little choristers, whose loud notes swell upon 
the breeze, were torpid in their retreats, or had retired to other climes. 
A mournful silence reigned in the fields, the groves were still, and far 
as the eye could reach solitude met the aching view. But when the 
first zephyrs of spring played upon the earth, nature felt their refresh- 
ing influence, and arose from her stupor ; joy and gayety were awak- 
ened, and laughing pleasure banished every care. 

The sun-beams penetrate, the sweet flowers spring up, the Jrees 
again look young, the budding beauties and the freshness of the ver- 
dure gladden the heart, and its joy is perfected in feeling the happi- 
ness of all around. Who can behold such a picture without emotion, 
or see it without thinking of the ineffable Being that produced it 1 
The Lord breathes upon the earth and the valleys smile ; he watereth 
them with his dew, and they are fertile. His presence ripeneth the 
harvests, and fills our hearts with joy. His blessing is upon the fur- 
rows, and the parching earth drinks of the refreshing rain, which 
softens it, and the seeds spring forth. The year is crowned with 
blessings, and the breath of God maketh the ground fruitful ; under 
14* V 



162 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

his steps flowers and fruits spring up, and all fruitfulness and abun- 
dance belong unto him. The pastures are watered with soft showers, 
and the hills are adorned with a beautiful verdure. The fields are 
covered with flocks, and the young corn rejoices the valleys. All 
nature rises in one general song of praise and thanksgiving to her 
bountiful Parent. 

In f}re revolution effected by the mild influence of the spring, I 
seem to see the representation of that salutary change which the soul 
feels when it yields to the operations of the divine Spirit of God. 
Before mis it had no real beauty ; its faculties, perverted and deprav- 
ed, were incapable of producing the precious fruits of piety, till the 
saving grace of God was felt in the heart, when it resembled the 
earth cheered by the vernal sun. Ignorance disappeared, the passions 
were controlled, and vice shrunk back ashamed ; the heart glowed 
with virtue, and the mind was impressed with humility ; and a firm 
reliance upon the blessed doctrines of truth. 



MAY VIII. 

GERMINATION OF SEEDS. 

Many changes in the vegetable kingdom are now taking place 
under our immediate notice, whilst others are operating in secret, con- 
cealed from our observation. The grain which had been previously 
deposited in the earth swells, and the plant at length sprouts and 
gradually shoots up. As this is the beginning of all the beauties 
which spring and summer offer us in the vegetable kingdom, it merits 
some attention. Seeds are composed of different parts, according to 
the variety of species, the principal of which parts is the germ. Each 
germ has two parts ; the one simple, which becomes the root, and the 
other laminated, which becomes the stem of the plant. The sub- 
stance of most seeds is composed of two pieces called lobes, which 
contain a farinaceous matter, and serve as seminal leaves to the plants. 
Mosses have the most simple seed, consisting only of the germ, with- 
out pellicle and without lobes. To make seeds germinate, air, and a 
certain degree of heat and moisture are necessary. The augmented 
heat, and the difference observable in the taste and smell, seem to 
denofe a degree of fermentation ; and the farinaceous substance be- 
comes fitted to nourish the tender germ. It has been ascertained by 
experiments made with coloured fluids, that this substance imbibes a 
moisture, which, in conjunction with the air and heat, forms a proper 
nourishment till the plant has acquired strength enough to make use 
of the juices furnished by the root. The lobes, exhausted of their 
farinaceous matter, gradually dry, and fall off of themselves in a few 
weeks, when the plant has no farther need of their assistance. 

Consider herbs which grow on the mountains are of a particular 
nature ; their duration being very short, it often happens that the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 163 

seed has not time to ripen ; and that the species may not be lost, the 
bud which contains the germ is formed upon the top of the plant, puts 
forth leaves, falls, and takes root. When the delicate plant shoots up 
from the earth, it will run too great a risk if it were immediately ex- 
posed to the air and influence of the sun. Its parts therefore remain 
folded close to each other, nearly the same as when in the seed. But 
as the root grows strong and branches out, it furnishes tho superior 
vessels with an abundance of juice, by means of which all the organs 
are developed. At first the plant is nearly gelatinous ; but it soon 
acquires more firmness, and continually increases in size. This short 
account of the germination of seeds suffices to show us how many 
preparations and means nature uses to produce a single plant. When 
therefore we see a seed that we have placed in the earth sprout, we 
shall no longer consider it as beneath our notice, but shall rather be 
disposed to regard it as one of those wonders of nature which have 
excited the observation and attention of some of the greatest of men. 



MAY IX. 

OF THE CHICK IN THE EGG. 

We are under considerable obligations to those naturalists who have 
made laborious researches and investigations into the nature of gene- 
ration, and the propagation of animals, by which much light has been 
thrown upon a very difficult subject. Nothing* contributes more to the 
glory of God than observations which point out the wisdom mani- 
fested in the production of the animal creation. The less we are able 
to comprehend the works of nature, the more eagerly should we seize 
every opportunity that offers of inquiring into them. 

The hen has scarcely sat upon the eggs twelve hours, when some 
lineaments of the head and body of the chick may be discerned in 
the embryo ; at the end of the second day the heart begins to beat, 
though no blood can be seen. In forty-eight hours we may distin- 
guish two vesicles with blood, the pulsation of which is evident ; 
one of them is the left ventricle, the other the root of the great artery ; 
soon after one of the auricles of the heart is perceptible ; in which 
pulsation may be remarked as well as in the ventricle. About the 
seventieth hour the wings maybe distinguished, and on the head 
two globules for the brain, one for the beak, and two others for the 
front and hind part of the head. Towards the end of the fourth day, 
the two auricles, now distinctly visible, approach nearer the heart than 
they did before. About the fifth day the liver may be perceived ; at 
the end of one hundred and thirty-eight hours, the lungs and stomach 
become visible ; and in a few hours more the intestines, veins, and 
upper jaw. On the seventh day the brain begins to assume a more 
consistent form. One hundred and ninety hours after incubation, the 
beak opens, and flesh appears on the breast. In two hundred and 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

ibs are formed, and the gall-bladder is visible. The bile, in 

nours more, is seen of a green colour ; and if the chick be 

dted from its coverings, it may be seen to move. Towards the 

> hundred and fortieth hour, the feathers begin to shoot, and about 

tue same time the skull becomes cartilaginous ; in twenty-four hours 

more the eyes appear ; at the two hundred and eighty-eighth, the ribs 

are perfected ; and at the three hundred and thirty-first, the spleen 

approaches the stomach, and the lungs the breast. On the eighteenth. 

day of incubation, the first faint piping of the chick is heard. It then 

continually increases in size and in strength till it 'emerges from its 

prison. 

By so many different gradations does the adorable wisdom of God 
conduct these creatures into life ; all their progressive evolutions are 
arranged with order, and each one is effected by its own particular 
cause. If the liver is always formed on the fifth day, is it from the 
preceding state of the chick. No part of its body could appear sooner 
or later without some injury to the embryo, and each of its members 
appears at the most convenient time. 

The wise and invariable order in the production of this little body, 
is evidently the work of supernatural power ; and we shall be more 
convinced of it if we consider the manner in which the chick is formed 
from the parts which compose the egg. How admirable is that prin- 
ciple of life the source of a new being contained in the egg^ all the 
parts of the animal being invisible till they become developed by 
warmth ! What a wonderful order and regularity is observed in the 
formation of the chick ; the same evolutions taking place at once in 
twenty eggs ! Neither does changing the position of the egg at all 
injure the embryo or retard the formation of the chick ; which at the 
time when it breaks the shell, is found to be heavier than the whole 
^gg was at first. These, however admirable, are far from being all 
the wonders displayed in the formation of a chick. The microscope, 
and the penetrating investigations of the curious, have only disco- 
vered what comes more immediately under the observation of our 
senses : whilst the discovery of many things remains for those who are 
to follow us, or they may never be known in this state of our exist- 
ence. Much remains to be known concerning the mystery of gene- 
ration, which at present is impenetrable to our researches ; but let not 
this discourage us, let us endeavour to improve and make a good use 
of the little knowledge we are permitted to acquire, and we shall yet 
have sufficient to feel the wise power of God, and to employ for the 
benefit of our fellow-creatures. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 165 

MAY X. 

BUDS OF FLOWERS. 

A number of flowers in bud, and still enveloped in their covers, 
may be seen in every direction ; all their charms are veiled, and their 
beauties concealed within themselves. Like these, devoid of beauty, 
may be considered the wretched miser, isolated and centring every 
thing in himself; his views are base and sordid ; he refers all to him- 
self, and makes his private advantages and personal gratification the 
centre of his desires, and the confined circle of his actions. 

The vivifying rays of the sun will soon cause the buds of the 
flowers to expand, and, quitting their confinement, open their ripen^ 
ing beauties to the face of day. They will appear with a beautiful 
bloom, and exhale the most fragrant perfumes. So will the heart of 
the miser be opened when the rays of divine grace shall beam light 
upon his soul. His unfeeling nature and contracted mind will yield 
to the penetrating influence of truth, and his heart become suscepti- 
ble of social affections, and alive to the feelings of humanity. He 
will then no longer be the slave of selfishness, nor the prey of sordid 
cares ; his love will become universal ; he will feel the affection of a 
brother for the deserving ; and his generous soul will know no bounds 
in its expansion, nor suffer any restraint in cheering the comfortless, 
and ministering unto the afflicted. 

When I view the yet tender buds of flowers, I think of you, ye 
amiable youth ! The beauty and energy of your souls are not yet 
displayed ; your faculties are not yet expanded ; and the hopes of 
your fond parents not yet confirmed. When, walking forth into the 
fields and gardens, you behold the budding flowers, consider that you 
are in a similar state ; as you look for their expansion, so your pa- 
rents fondly watch the gradual unfolding of your faculties. They 
do every thing for you, and neglect nothing that can promote your 
instruction and advance your improvement ; they watch over your 
education with the tenderest care, that at first by blossoms, and then 
by choice fruit, you may become useful to society, and be the joy of 
your parents, and their consolation and support in the evening of their 
days. Do every thing in your power to gratify their dearest hopes, 
and profit well by their instructions ; to the end that you may become 
wise, amiable, and virtuous. And beware of following all the sug- 
gestions of youthful fancy, or giving way to the ebullitions of desire 
and the wild fury of passion, which will blast your innocence, de- 
stroy the sweet sensibility of your heart, and render your mind base, 
gloomy, and wretched. ' In the morning of life I flourish like the 
opening bud. My heart beats with joy, and throbs with fond delight ; 
I riot in the luxury of hope, and anticipate with ecstacy the pleasures 
of futurity. But if I yield to the insinuating poison of young desire, 
and slide into the false sweets of pleasure, my heart would early pul- 



166 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

sate only to the tears of bitterness, or its vital stream be consumed 
by the ardency of an impure flame.' 



MAY XI. 

INDEFATIGABLE LABOURS OF THE BEE. 

The season of spring" affords us an excellent opportunity to observe 
the labours and industry of the bees ; and the sight of a hive is cer- 
tainly most beautiful. A wonderful degree of interest is excited in 
the contemplation of a laboratory where thousands of workmen are 
differently employed, Our astonishment increases as we behold the 
regularity of their labours, and the abundance with which these ma- 
gazines are furnished for the support of their numerous inhabitants 
during the winter. And still more admirable is the indefatigable 
assiduity and unceasing labours of this little republic. Bees give an 
example of diligence and activity which is not only uncommon, but 
has perhaps never been equalled. 

As soon as the last traces of winter have disappeared, they begin 
to come forth ; sometimes so early that there is reason to fear the 
cold is yet sufficiently strong to injure their delicate limbs. Even 
before the juices of flowers which begin to open are sufficiently acted 
upon by the heat of the sun to furnish a large supply of honey, the 
bees collect a little for their subsistence. But as the spring advances, 
and in the summer, their cares and activity are redoubled : in these 
seasons they are never idle ; they work incessantly, and neglect not 
the smallest profits that will increase their stores. They are so inde- 
fatigable in the construction of their cells, that we are informed a 
comb with double cells and sufficiently large to contain three thou- 
sand bees, is finished in twenty-four hours. 

The work is jointly undertaken by all the members of the republic ; 
whilst some collect the wax, and prepare and fill the magazines with 
it, others are busied in different labours. Some build cells with the 
wax ; others knead and perfect it ; some gather honey from the flow- 
ers, which they deposit in the hive for present nourishment and future 
support ; others close the entrance of the cells with a covering of 
wax, in which they have preserved their winter's store of honey. 
Some distribute nourishment to the young ones, and close with wax 
the habitations of the small grubs that are near the time of their 
metamorphosis, to the end that they may work more securely. Some 
fdl up with a glutinous matter all the holes and clefts of the hives, 
and plaster over the weak parts, that neither wind nor insects may 
gain admission. Some drag the dead out of the hive for fear of in- 
fection ; and if the bodies are too heavy, they plaster them over with 
a glutinous substance, or with wax ; and so cement it, that no efflu 
via can exhale through the coating. 

It is not enough for us to admire the activity of these little crea- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 167 

tures ; we should make them our model, and endeavour to imitate 
the example of their industry. We have many more incitements to 
action than they have ; we possess an immortal soul. This should 
render our diligence constant, and our applications incessant, that we 
may avoid the way to ruin, and preserve the sure path to happiness : 
and nothing more effectually incites to this, than the reflection that 
the fruit of our labours lasteth for ever. The bee gathers its sweets 
not for itself only, but for its masters ; while our labours in the vine- 
yard of wisdom and of truth secure to ourselves the fruits of eter- 
nal life. 

May we never be slow to do good, nor remiss in performing the 
duties of our vocation with all the zeal and fidelity of which we are 
capable. Let us execute without delay the task imposed upon us, 
and work while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can 
work. ' May we each show the same diligence to the full assurance 
of hope, unto the end that we be not slothful, but followers of them 
who through faith and patience inherit the promise ; for the winter of 
age and the tribulation of sickness approach, and the hour of death 
hasteneth.' Look to the bees for instruction ; consider their labours, 
and contemplate their works: admire their activity and unceasing 
industry. Always busy, always indefatigable, they rise with the 
morning, prolong their toils to the evening hour, and support without 
shrinking the troubles of their short life. And shall man repose in 
idleness, and lie on the lap of indolence 1 shall he, endowed with the 
immortal gift of reason, consume his days in frivolity, and waste his 
nights in foolish sports or hurtful pleasures ] The period of our lives 
is short ; may we devote it to labour for the glory of God, the welfare, 
of our souls, and the benefit of our fellow-creatures 1 



MAY XII. 

NOURISHMENT OF ANIMALS. 

Through all the gradations and varieties of animals, from the pon- 
derous elephant to the almost imperceptible mite, no terrestrial crea- 
ture can live without food and nourishment. From the eagle that in 
her bold flight braves the meridian sun, to the minutest fly ; from the 
whale to the smallest worm, nothing living can exist without suste- 
nance. And in forming these creatures with the necessity of having' 
food, God has provided at the same time such an abundance and 
diversity of aliment, that each creature may receive that nourishment 
which is most proper for its subsistence. As many different species 
of animals as there are, so many different kinds of food are destined 
for their nutriment ; so that every creature upon the earth finds food 
adapted to its nature. 

In this view we may divide animals into three principal classes. 
The first comprising all those which are nourished by the flesh of 



168 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

others : some of these, as the lion, prefer quadrupeds ; others, as the 
pole-cat, fowls ; others fish, as the beaver ; and others insects, as dif- 
ferent species of birds. The second class will comprehend those ani- 
mals which derive their nutriment from the vegetable kingdom. Al- 
most every species of vegetables is the food of some particular ani- 
mal. Some prefer grass, others the fruit of trees : and among those 
which live upon the same plant, there is a great difference of choice ; 
some preferring the root, others the leaves, the stalk, the seed, the 
fruit, and some are fond of the whole plant. The third general class 
includes the greater number of insects, the particular nature of whose 
aliment it is difficult to determine. 

We may now see the propriety of these words of the Psalmist : 
' All creatures look unto Thee, and Thou givest them their meat in 
due season. Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest all things with 
that which they desire.' These cares of Divine Providence evince 
that eternal goodness which is diffused throughout the universe. If 
we reflect upon the prodigious number of animals which exist ; the 
many thousand species of insects and birds ; the millions of terrestrial 
animals in every part of the globe, that have their abode in the forests, 
in the fields, on the mountains, and in the valleys, in the caverns, and 
in the holes of the rocks, in trees, and in the earth ; the innumerable 
shoals of fish that inhabit the ocean, the seas, the rivers, and the 
brooks ; the infinite variety of insects, in the air, in plants, and on ani- 
mals : each of which daily finds an ample support, and an abundance 
of food; we shall be lost in admiration at the wisdom of the munifi- 
cent Creator, who nourishes them all, and gives to them severally 
the aliment most adapted to their nature. From this wonderful 
diversity in the food of animals, nothing that nature produces is use- 
less, but tends to the support of some one of her numerous progeny. 
From all this we may draw a most happy conclusion ; that if God 
thus provides for creatures destitute of reason, he will not do less for 
man, whom he has favoured with the blessed gift of reason, and to 
whom these animals are subservient. 



MAY XIII. 

SENSES OF ANIMALS. 

In every animal the organs of sense are arranged in a manner most 
conformable to their nature and destination. By means of the senses 
they take cognizance of objects, whether near or at a distance ; and 
through them they are enabled to provide for their wants, and to 
shun the dangers with which they are threatened. That sense by 
which animals are able to form an idea of material objects by touch- 
ing them is called feeling, which is chiefly resident in the extremi- 
ties of numerous nerves covered by the skin. 

The organs of taste are the tongue and the palate ; the savoury 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 169 

impressions are made upon the nervous papillae, which are the imme- 
diate instruments both of taste and feeling, between which two 
senses there is considerable analogy. 

The organ of smell is the delicate membrane which lines the in- 
side of the nose ; and by means of the ramifications of the nerves 
upon the membrane, the odoriferous vapours that float in the air are 
received ; and those animals which require a more delicate and subtle 
smell have their olfactory organs more perfect. Worms seem to be 
destitute of this sense, as are in all probability fish and insects; though 
the antennae of the latter may serve them instead. By means of 
smell, animals are enabled to hunt out their food, to select that which 
is most suitable for them, and, by being apprized of the approach of 
their enemies, to preserve themselves from danger. 

By hearing, animals become susceptible of the vibrations of air ; 
but the structure of the ear is not alike in all ; some, as the lizard, 
have two tympanums ; others are destitute of several parts common 
to the rest. Birds and fish have not that part called the meatus audi- 
torius, and worms and insects are completely deaf. 

The eyes are the organs of seeing-. Quadrupeds, fowls, fish, and 
amphibious animals, have two eyes, one on each side of the head. 
Insects are generally furnished with more than two. The spider and 
the scorpion have eight ; and many possess them by thousands, com- 
monly collected in two orbits. In a fly sixteen thousand eyes have 
been enumerated ; in a beetle, six thousand three hundred and sixty- 
two; and in a butterfly, thirty-four thousand six hundred and fifty. 
■ Fish have no aqueous humour ; but the crystalline lens is nearly 
globular. 

All the organs of sense are disposed in a manner not only most 
suitable to the structure of the body of the animal, but also to an- 
swer its different necessities. To be convinced of this, a few obser- 
vations will suffice. As the eyes of many insects are immoveable, 
and consequently in many cases would be useless, nature has given 
them antennae, by means of which they are informed of what would 
be injurious to them, or what might otherwise have escaped their 
sight. The eyes of fish are disposed with equal wisdom. An eye 
that projected far out of the head would be very inconvenient to 
them, and we find their cornea is nearly flat ; to remedy the defects 
of this, the crystalline humour is globular, which in most other ani- 
mals is lenticular, and much more flat. Though eyes are generally 
spherical, there is great diversity in their figure ; and their situation 
in the head is various, according to the different destination and ne- 
cessities of the animal. In man, who sees little but what is straight 
before him, the eyes are situated in the fore part of the head, but so 
arranged that they can receive impressions from the whole semicircle 
of objects before him. In birds, the eye is so placed, that it can take 
in at one view nearly the whole circle of objects around it, by which 
means they can provide their food more easily, and are less liable to 
be surprised by enemies. 

The ear of man has that form which best suits his erect posture ; 
15 W 



170 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

in birds it is particularly adapted to occasion no impediment to their 
flight, and for this purpose it does not project, but is close, to allow of 
their rapid passage through the air. Thus, though we know but a 
small part of the wonderful mechanism of animals, we see enough to 
convince us of the wisdom displayed in their organization, and in the 
arrangement of their organs of sense. And the more information we 
gain, and the more discoveries we make upon this interesting subject, 
the more cause we find to admire the wonders of nature, and to adore 
the goodness of God. Let us not then treat any animal, however 
insignificant, with contempt or indifference; they all bear the stamp 
of divine impression, and like ourselves, have one common Parent, 
who is God over all. 



MAY XIV. 

ORDER OBSERVED IN THE SUCCESSION OF FLOWERS. 

Every plant springs up in the earth in the order which is prescrib- 
ed to it. There is a time appointed for one to unfold its leaves, for 
another to flower, and a third to fade and die. The snow-drop show- 
ed its delicate flower above the ground several weeks since, long be- 
fore the trees ventured to unfold their leaves, even whilst ice and snow 
still covered the earth. The crocus next appeared, timidly shrinking 
from the impetuous winds ; at the same time were seen the sweet 
violet and the auricula. These were the joyful harbingers of the 
numerous flowers that now refresh us. 

At this period also a succession of flowers is observed, and every 
month exhibits new ornaments peculiar to itself. The tulip begins 
to develop its rich leaves and flowers ; and speedily the beautiful ane- 
mone will form its full round cup, the ranunculus expand all the mag- 
nificence of its leaves, and the opening rose spread its beauties to the 
morning sun, and fill the air with its perfuming fragrance ; nor will 
the elegant pink, with its graceful charms, be wanting in the beau- 
teous assemblage. 

By the wise arrangement displayed in the regular succession of 
flowers we derive the greatest advantages ; for if they all flourished 
at the same time we should either have them in excessive abundance, 
or we should experience a total privation. But now, that each spe- 
cies has its determinate time and season, we can contemplate them 
at our leisure, and enjoy them with greater convenience ; we can 
dwell longer upon their beauties, and examine each singly without 
the confusion of numbers. And by the constant succession of flowers 
we do not suffer from the shortness of their continuance ; for the 
pain of seeing one die is solaced by the budding of another, and our 
gardens during a great part of the year present, as well as attract, 
the face of youth and beauty. The field of nature is open to all, 
and ke who prefers the sting of thorns may gratify his inclination as 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 171 

well as he who delights in seeing flowers and sweet enjoyment 
attend upon all his steps. As flowers succeed to each other, so do the 
individuals composing the human race ; as some are born, others are 
returning to their native dust ; and as some are just beginning to be 
useful to the world, others are leaving the great theatre of life whilst 
new actors begin to play their parts. 



MAY XV. 

ZOOPHITES. , 

Zoophites may be considered as insects partaking both of the na- 
ture of an animal and a plant. By their external configuration, their 
remaining in one place, and their producing themselves by buds and 
seeds, they very much resemble plants ; like which they also may be 
propagated bf grafts and slips. Their animal nature is only known 
by their sensibility and voluntary motion. The greater part of zoo- 
phites put forth a kind of root in the sea and waters where they live ; 
some of them grow in stony calcareous substances, and others are 
covered by a shell, which resembles horn, whilst many are soft and 
fleshy. They all possess in common the power of self-producing new 
zoophites ; and whilst the young ones are attached to the parent 
stalk, they form but one animal ; but as soon as they are separated 
from the stem, they have a proper existence by themselves. 

Zoophites also multiply themselves in a way very similar to that of 
plants. They form a species of germ containing a young zoophite, 
which grows for some time on the stalk, and, at length falling off, 
becomes a complete animal. They do not appear to possess either 
brain, heart, veins, or arteries ; but their whole body from the begin- 
ning to the extremity, forms a hollow tube, which may be regarded 
as one continued stomach or intestinal canal. By the discovery of 
this humble class of beings in the creation, in the beginning of the 
seventeenth century, the volume of natural history has increased, and 
our ideas of the gradation of beings extended. The links between 
animal and vegetable nature are extremely imperceptible, and difficult 
to define. The only distinguishing characteristic is supposed to be, 
that plants have neither sensation nor motion, whilst every species of 
animal both feels and moves ; but the shades between these are so 
finely drawn, as in many instances to be impenetrable to the researches 
of the curious, who often assert for truth, discoveries which are only 
within the probability of conjecture. 



172 STURM'S REFLECTIONS, 



MAY XVI. 

PLEASURES DERIVED FROM THE CULTIVATION OF FIELDS AND 

GARDENS. 

The cultivation of fields and gardens is one of the most delightful 
of all occupations, and perhaps the only one the toil of which is re- 
compensed with much pleasure. The greater part of laborious em- 
ployments confine a man to his shop, or within his house ; whilst he 
who devotes himself to agricultural pursuits breathes always a pure 
air, and enjoys continually the grand spectacle of nature. The azure 
sky is his canopy, and the earth embroidered with flowers his carpet. 
Far removed from the murky atmosphere of towns, a thousand beau- 
tiful objects present themselves to his view, and he need never want a 
pure spring of delight, or real banquet of pleasure. Soon as the first 
rays of morning beam light on the earth he rises with the lark, and 
hastes away to his fields, brushing, as he passes, the glistening dew- 
drops, and inhaling the fresh unbreathed air, sweeter than the rose's 
perfume. 

The joyful songs of the birds gladden the skies, and they express 
their loves in a thousand sportful sallies. Their sweet carols mark 
the pleasure they feel in the new day, and the full chorus swells with. 
the praises of the God of nature, whose blessings they again receive 
in the returning influence of the sun, in their food, and in the sweet 
attractions of love and gayety. And surely, no heart can remain 
unmoved amid this scene of joy and festivity ; nor can the mind con- 
template a more august spectacle than the perfection of God in the 
grandeur of his designs and the beauty of his works. 

What contributes to render agriculture and gardening more parti- 
cularly pleasing is the constant variety and succession of objects 
always presented to us, which relieve the wearisomeness of continued 
uniformity and undeviating sameness. We continually observe a 
vast variety of plants, fruits, herbs, and trees, grow up under our aus- 
pices, and assuming every diversity of appearance. Nature leads 
her followers through a thousand flowery paths, ever diversified by 
new changes and fresh delight. One while we see plants just peep- 
ing above the ground, at another those which have arisen and are 
fully developed, and others which are in full bloom. Whichever way 
we direct our view we see new beauties. The heavens above, and 
the earth beneath, contain exhaustless treasures and boundless delights. 
Let those who are from necessity confined within the walls of cities 
sometimes emerge from their smoky atmosphere, and respire a purer 
air in the country, where their hearts may be rejoiced with a pure and 
innocent pleasure, and their souls rise up to heaven in aspirations of 
praise and gratitude to the Author of every blessing. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 173 

MAY XVII. 

THE TULIP. 

The tulip is one of the finest formed and most beautiful of flowers ; 
the fineness of its shape, and the brilliancy of its colours, make it 
the queen of the garden. And if we consider that each year millions 
of them blow, all differing in form and beauty, our admiration in- 
creases, and we are compelled to acknowledge that so much beauty 
and elegance cannot be the effect of blind chance, but must have 
some great First Cause which has produced them in its wisdom and 
beneficence, the existence of which is sufficiently proved by the tulip 
in full flower. 

Though tulips are now produced from roots, there was a time when 
they did not exist ; and whence was derived the first bulb, and that 
primitive arrangement of which all subsequent revolutions are only 
the development, but from some intelligent cause which we call the 
Creator 1 As much power and wisdom are displayed in the structure 
of a single tulip from which ten others shall proceed, as in the cre- 
ation of ten at once. Whenever we see a bed of tulips, then, let us 
not rest satisfied with admiring their beauty ; let us also admire in 
them that wisdom which has formed them with such perfection. 

Though the beauties of the tulip are thus so eminently conspi- 
cuous, they lose some of their value when we consider they are only 
to please the sight, for not being odoriferous they cannot gratify the 
smell ; and when we contrast them with the pink, which to beauty 
of form adds the most exquisite perfume, we forget immediately the 
richness of the tulip. And this is the case with those vain people, 
who, endowed with personal charms, set them off with every addi- 
tional ornament their vanity can suggest ; whilst they neglect, and 
suffer to remain uncultivated, the powers of the understanding and 
the virtues of the heart, which alone can render them acceptable to 
their Maker, and amiable to their fellow-creatures. The beauty of 
the tulip fades, and the pride of person is laid low : but the beauties 
of the mind remain to cheer, to delight, and to instruct, when the 
graces of form are no more : and the virtues of the heart will flou- 
rish, when the elegance of shape and the vigour of body are de- 
cayed. 

The simple annals of plants furnish us with this useful observation, 
that the more beautiful a flower is the sooner it fades. We shall soon 
see no more of the tulip than a dry and dead stalk ; its beauty and 
life only last a few short weeks, when its charms are destroyed, its 
leaves wither, its colours fade, and all that remains of what so lately 
struck us with its beauties is a sapless stem. Thus we learn from 
the tulip the little dependence that is to be placed on external advan- 
tages ; we witness the frailt)^ of beauty, and the short duration of life. 
For like the flower of the field man groweth up and flourisheth, and 
then speedily withereth away ; his days are few and full of troubles. 

15* 



174 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

And may we so live, that when the awful period arrives, the good and 
the virtuous may regret our loss, and the afflicted and fatherless mourn 
for our dissolution. 



MAY XVIII. 

REFLECTIONS ON GRASS. 

Though the flowers which the care and industry of man cultivates 
in the gardens are extremely beautiful, we should know little of 
the vegetable kingdom if we confined our attention to the contempla- 
tion of flower-beds. Every field is equally the wonderful scene of the 
works of God, and equally claims our attention. Can any thing be 
more astonishing than the great quantity of grass which grows in one 
meadow 1 To be convinced of the prodigious number of blades of 
grass, we need only attempt to reckon them as they are growing in 
any given space, and we shall soon be satisfied of their superior ferti- 
lity over all plants and herbs. All this for the subsistence of various 
species of animals, of which fields and meadows may very properly be 
considered as the granaries. 

Another great, advantage to be considered in grass is the little care 
it requires in its cultivation; and that it will grow and perpetuate itself 
independent of the labours of man. Since the Almighty Word of God 
said, 'Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, whose seed 
is in itself,' our fields have been uninterruptedly fertile, and we have 
known no deficiency of grass. Its colour is also the most grateful ; 
for who could have borne the dazzling lustre of white, or the brilliant 
glare of red 1 If the universal colour had been more dark or obscure, 
how gloomy and dismal would have been the face of nature ! But the 
ever-bountiful Creator has neither injured our sight with colours which 
our eyes could not support, nor pained it b)? - obscure gloom ; on the 
contrary, he has clothed the fields in colours that strengthen the sight, 
and please by their diversity : for such is the difference of shade, that 
scarcely two blades of grass can be found of exactly the same shade 
of green. By this arrangement of the vegetable kingdom God has 
not provided less for our pleasure than for our advantage, the proofs 
of which every where present themselves to our observation : and 
may we never pass them with indifference or disregard, but may our 
reason ever be employed in tracing out the perfection of wisdom, and 
the consummation of goodness, in all the works of nature ! 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 175 

MAY XIX. 

SENTIMENTS EXCITED BY THE CONTEMPLATION OF THE HEAVENS. 

What Being can have formed the superb vault of heaven 1 Who 
has given motion to those immense globes of light, whose continu- 
ance is perpetual, and velocity inexpressible 1 Who has commanded 
the vast masses of inert matter to assume so many and various forms ] 
Whence are derived the connection, harmony, and beauty, of the 
whole ; and who has determined their proportions, and set limits to 
their number 1 Who has prescribed to the planets laws which, during 
the lapse of ages, remained undiscovered till the sublime genius of 
a Newton unfolded them 1 Who has defined the vast circles in which 
the various stars roll in endless spheres 1 And who first commanded 
them to move, and continue their course in uninterrupted progression'? 
All these questions lead us to thee, our adorable Creator ! Self-exist- 
ing, infinite Being ! to thy intelligence and supernatural power all 
these heavenly bodies owe their existence, their laws, arrangement, 
force, and influence ! 

What sublime ideas the contemplation of these grand objects raises 
in our souls ! If the space where so many millions of worlds are re- 
volving cannot be measured by our understanding ; if we are lost in 
astonishment at the magnitude of the spheres; if the edifice of the 
universe, which the Almighty has formed, be so immense that all 
our ideas are confounded in its contemplation ; what must Thou be, 

God, and what understanding can comprehend thee 1 If the hea- 
vens and all their hosts are so majestically grand and beautiful that 
the eye is never satiated with their splendour, nor the mind satisfied 
with the contemplation of their wonders, what must Thou be, O God, 
of whose glory these are but faint shadows and feeble images 1 What 
must be the infinity of Thy powers and the extent of Thy wisdom, 
when Thou seest at one glance all the immense space of Heaven, 
with its revolving worlds ; and when thou penetratest into the nature 
and properties of every existing being ! Thou who hast formed these 
admirable plans, who hast calculated every thing, and weighed all in 
thy balance ; who hast established the laws of the universe, and pro- 
posed to Thyself the most sublime ends: in the contemplation of Thee 

1 am lost in sublimity, and prostrate myself before the throne of Thy 
glory, unable to behold Thy refulgence ! 



MAY XX. 

FECUNDITY OF PLANTS. 

The magnificence of the terrestrial part of creation is never more 
conspicuous than when observed in the astonishing fertility of plants. 



176 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

A single plant produces millions of others. One tobacco plant pro- 
duces forty thousand three hundred and twenty grains of seed ; and 
if from this we calculate the produce of four years, we shall find that 
there may be produced two millions six hundred and forty-two thou- 
sand nine hundred and eight billions, two hundred and ninety-three 
thousand three hundred and sixty-five millions, seven hundred and 
sixty thousand grains of seed. An elm of twelve years' growth often 
has upwards of one hundred thousand grains of seed ; and what a 
prodigious number must spring from these in the course of a few 
years ! Suppose it has not more than one hundred thousand buds, and 
that the shoot of each year contains only five, there would be every 
year five hundred thousand plants which may be considered as new. 
If we add what is produced by the extension of the root by grafts, &c. 
we shall be astonished how the earth finds means to support the nume- 
rous family of plants. 

We must also recollect the innumerable multitude of animals that 
receive their nourishment from the vegetable kingdom ; they annually 
make so great a consumption of plants, that if nature had not endow- 
ed vegetables with very extraordinary prolific powers, we should soon 
have reason to be apprehensive of their total destruction. Sometimes 
indeed the very animals that devour them are instrumental in their 
propagation : birds, for instance, in eating the fruit, often swallow the 
kernels, w T hich they afterward deposite in the earth without any in- 
jury ; and whilst pecking certain fruits, they often scatter the seeds 
to a considerable distance ; and this dispersion is requisite, that one 
species of plant may not occupy a whole field. For this purpose also, 
certain seeds are furnished with a sort of wings, that they may be 
more readily dispersed by the wind. 

Plants are much more prolific than animals ; of which we shall be 
fully convinced by comparing them together. Plants annually pro- 
duce many new ones, and sometimes continue to do so for centuries ; 
whilst the largest animals, as the elephant, the mare, &c. only pro- 
duce one, or at most two, yearly ; and are often entirely barren. 
Small quadrupeds, as the dog, the cat, the rat, &c. though much 
more fruitful, by no means equal the fecundity of trees. Fish and 
insects approach nearer to it ; the tench deposits about ten thousand 
eggs, the carp twenty thousand, and the cod a million. But if we 
compare this fecundity with that of the wild rose, of the mustard- 
tree, and the fern, we shall find that these and many other plants 
multiply much more than fish or insects ; besides, they are propagated 
by many different ways, whilst most animals are confined to one mode 
of multiplying their species. A tree may produce as many new trees 
as it has branches and leaves. 

From these considerations we may learn how wisely God has regu- 
lated the continuation of the vegetable and animal species. If the 
multiplication of vegetables were less considerable, many animals 
must perish for want ; our fields, meadows, and gardens would be en- 
tirely desert, or enlivened with a very few plants scattered up and 
down ; and had the Creator thought fit that the animals which live 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 177 

upon vegetables should become more numerous than the plants, the 
vegetable kingdom would be exhausted, and many species of animals 
would perish. But from the wise relations subsisting between the 
two kingdoms, the inhabitants of each multiply in a just proportion, 
and no species is destroyed. Thus, pleasure and abundance every 
where surround us. For man, the Creator has given to vegetables 
their fecundity ; and for his nourishment, pleasure, and health, such 
a multitude of plants are produced, that their number cannot be ex- 
pressed ; and thus affords an image of the immensity and omnipo- 
tence of God, who through all the kingdoms of nature opens his 
hand and satisfies the desire of every living creature. 



MAY XXI. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE BEAUTIES OF SPRING 

Nothing is more worthy of admiration than the revolutions effected 
throughout all nature by the influence of the spring. As autumn de- 
clines, every valley, every meadow, and every grove, presents us with 
an image of death : and in winter nature is entirely divested of beauty; 
every animal is sorrowful, the inhabitants of the groves hide them- 
selves and are silent ; the earth becomes desert, and all nature seems 
to suffer a state of torpor and insensibility. However, at this very 
time she is working in secret, though we are ignorant of the happy 
principle which is preparing her renovation. Life returns to animate 
afresh the benumbed body, and every thing prepares for a similar 
restoration. In trees alone, what a multitude of changes take place. 
At first the sap, which during the winter had entirely abandoned the 
trunk and branches, slowly rises in the small vessels by means which 
we cannot discover : it soon penetrates the buds, which disclose a 
thousand wonders ; the leaves with their beautiful green ; the branches 
which are to shoot between the unfolded leaves, with new buds at- 
tached to them, and full of invisible leaves ; the multitude of flow- 
ers, with the sweet exhalations which scent the air ; in these blos- 
soms fruit, and in those fruits the seeds of an infinite number of other 
trees. 

The brightness of the sun rejoices the soul, and the activity of 
nature in the plants which surround us is highly pleasing. Every 
field delights with its beauties and pleases with its grateful fragrance, 
and every bird pours forth its varied melody. How cheerful are the 
notes of the linnet as it flutters from branch to branch, as if to attract 
our regard ! The lark joyfully soars aloft, and hails the day and the 
coming spring with her melodious strains. The cattle express the 
vigour and joy which animate them ; and the fish in the rivers, 
which during winter were torpid and lay at the bottom of the water, 
now rise to the surface, and express their vivacity by a thousand 
playful sallies. 

X 



178 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

How is it possible that we can so often see all these objects without 
experiencing the most profound admiration and reverence for the infi- 
nite Being whose power is so gloriously manifested 1 Never should 
we breathe the pure air of spring without such feelings being awaken- 
ed ; let us never contemplate a tree in leaf, a field waving with corn, 
a flowery mead, a majestic forest, or a beautiful garden, without re- 
flecting that it is God who has given us the shade of the trees, and 
the beauty and fragrance of the flowers; that it is He who clothes 
the woods and the meadows with the verdure which delights and re- 
freshes ; and that He, by whose will and power we exist, has given to 
every creature life, and all the happiness they enjoy. As nature feels 
the influence of spring, so the true Christian feels ecstatic bliss, when 
after having hidden his face for a while, his God approaches and 
breathes into his soul the happy testimony of his grace and sal- 
vation. 



MAY XXII. 

LANGUAGE OF ANIMALS 

Man may be considered as the only animal which enjoys the gift 
of speech ; and in this his superiority over other animals is most espe- 
cially manifested. By means of speech he extends his empire over 
all nature, and raises himself towards his Divine Author, whom he 
contemplates, obeys, and adores. By the faculty of speech he is 
enabled to make known his wants to others, and to render them sub- 
servient to his interest. All animals, except man, are deprived of this 
faculty, because they are destitute of that reason by which we are 
enabled to acquire languages, and to know the use of speech. But 
as animals possess the power of expressing their wants and feelings 
by natural signs, and certain sounds or cries, we must allow them a 
sort of language, though very inferior, formed entirely from the diver- 
sity of the tones which they utter. 

To form a just idea of this, no very laborious researches or profound 
investigations are necessary ; it will be sufficient to observe the ani- 
mals which daily come under our notice, and w 7 ith which we live in 
familiar intercourse. Let us examine the hen and her chickens ; 
when she has found any thing, she calls and invites them to partake 
of it-; they understand her call, and instantly come. If they lose 
sight of her, their plaintive cries express their distress, and the desire 
they have for her guardian presence. Observe the different cries of 
the cock when a stranger or a dog advances, or when some bird of 
prey hovers near ; or when he calls to or answers his hens. Hear the 
lamentable cries of the turkey, and see the young brood instantly 
hide themselves ; the mother anxiously looks upward, and what has 
she discovered ! a black point that we can scarcely distinguish ; and 
this is a bird of prey, which could not escape the vigilance and piercing 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 179 

eyes of the mother carefully watching for her flock. The enemy 
disappears, and the hen utters an exulting cry ; her anxiety ceases, 
and the young ones again joyfully assemble round their mother. 

The cries of the dog are very various, copious, and expressive : 
who can witness without emotion the joy which this faithful animal 
expresses at the return of his master 1 He leaps, dances, runs about 
him with eagerness ; now stops and eyes him with the most earnest 
regard, full of tenderness and affection ; approaches, licks, and ca- 
resses him repeatedly ; then again renews his frolicksome gambols, 
disappears, returns, assumes a variety of sportful attitudes, barks, and 
declares his joy by a thousand playful gestures. How different are 
these joyful sounds from those which he utters at night upon the ap- 
proach of a thief! If we follow a hound or a pointer, how different 
will be their cries and their motions, according to what they wish to 
express, and how significant are the movements of their ears and 
tails. 

This may afford us another opportunity of admiring the wisdom of 
the Supreme Being, who has thus manifested to all creatures his ten- 
der cares, by giving them power to express by sounds their feelings 
and their wants. From their peculiar organization it is impossible 
for them to utter the language of man ; but though destitute of that 
qualification, they are, through the mercy of God, enabled to commu- 
nicate their sensations to one another, and even to man himself. They 
possess the faculty of producing and varying a certain number of 
sounds, and the structure of their organs is such, that each species 
has peculiar tones by which it conveys its meaning, with as much 
perfection as their nature and the end for which they are created re- 
quires. 

How superior then is man to other animals by his powers of speech ! 
Their language consists in the utterance of imperfect sounds; they 
are incapable of combining and comparing ideas, and their knowledge 
of external objects is very limited ; whilst man possesses faculties 
which enable him to ascend from particulars to general notions, and 
to separate the object from the qualities which distinguish it ; and 
having obtained this knowledge, he is enabled through his powers of 
speech to convey it to other individuals. Let us then pour forth the 
tribute of our praise to the Almighty for the superiority of our nature, 
and the great faculties he has bestowed upon us ; never forgetting 
that the most grateful incense which ascends to Heaven is the prayers 
of the afflicted for those that comfort them ; and the blessings of the 
ignorant who have been rescued from the bondage of darkness, and 
restored to the cheerful precincts of day by the superior intelligence of 
a fellow-being who has devoted his days to the cultivation of his mind 
and the improvement of his heart. 



180 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

MAY XXIII. 

NUMBER AND MAGNITUDE OF CREATURES UPON THE EARTH. 

c The works of the Lord are vast and numerous :' we should have 
acknowledged this if we had only known those which the earth con- 
tains ; for how immense is this globe, the abode of so many nations 
differing from each other ; and how many solitudes and deserts are 
still uninhabited by man ! What is still more striking is, that the 
solid earth does not occupy near so much space as the water ; and if 
the earth itself is an example of the greatness of the works of God, 
how much more so is that diversity of creatures which it contains ! 

We find innumerable species of stones, minerals, and metals, con- 
cealed in the bosom of the earth ; whilst an astonishing variety of 
trees, plants, herbs, and fruits, adorn its surface. Notwithstanding 
all the care which has been taken to observe and classify their differ- 
ent species, the work is still far from being completed. Let us next 
consider the extreme diversity of living creatures which offers itself to 
our attention ! How great the disproportion between the eagle and 
the fly, the whale and the gudgeon, the elephant and the mouse ! and 
yet the interval which separates them is filled up with living crea- 
tures. The various species of animals approach each other so nearly 
that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish them ; and yet these are 
so multiplied, that from the fly to the elephant they form one vast 
chain, all the links of which are connected. On the seas, lakes, and 
rivers, upon the surface of the earth and within its bosom, there is 
scarcely any space that is not occupied by some living- creature. 

But however great may appear the number of creatures which 
come under our observation, it is not to be compared with those which 
are so small as to elude our perception. With the microscope almost 
incredible discoveries have been made, of which all who choose may 
convince themselves. By its means we are presented with a new 
world, which was before entirely unknown to us ; we there see 
living creatures whose extreme minuteness the imagination can 
scarcely imbody, some of them not equalling in size the millionth 
part of a grain of sand. And it is not only their number and diver- 
sity, but their beauty and delicacy of structure, which excites our 
astonishment. What nearly escapes the naked eye, when view 7 ed 
through a microscope has an inconceivable fineness and beauty. 
Brilliant particles, which art cannot imitate, glitter in a grain of sand, 
and particularly in some insects ; for example, in the head and eyes 
of a small fly ; and we observe in the structure of the most insignifi- 
cant of beings the utmost symmetry and most admirable order: in 
short, we find millions of creatures so small that the eye cannot dis- 
tinguish them without a glass, which have, notwithstanding, an orga- 
nization as perfect in their species, and are as proper to fulfil the de- 
sign of their creation, as the larger animals with which the earth is 
peopled. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 181 

Considerations like these are well calculated to teach us the know- 
ledge of our own littleness ; we seem to be lost in this innumerable 
multitude of the creatures of God, which would amply suffice to de- 
clare his power, though the whole human race were swept into anni- 
hilation. How immense is the empire of nature ! in every element 
are beings created and preserved ; every grain of sand is an habitation 
for insects which rank amongst the creatures of God, and are links in 
the vast catenation of created nature. The more we meditate upon 
the grandeur and diversity of the works of God, the more we feel the 
limits of our understanding, and our ideas are confused by infinitude ; 
though we add number upon number, we shall never be able to find a 
sum equal to the amount of all the creatures which inhabit the 
earth. Let us then in silent reverence adore the wisdom of the im- 
measurable God. 



MAY XXIV. 

SPRING AN EMBLEM OF THE FRAILTY OF HUMAN LIFE, AND AN 
IMAGE OF DEATH. 

At this season we need not search far for images of frailty and 
death ; they every where present themselves connected with the 
beauties of nature. The design of the Creator in this seems to be, 
to warn us of the inconstancy of terrestrial things, and to check that 
dangerous inclination which we have to place our affections upon ob- 
jects which, being vain and transitory, should be repressed. Spring 
is the season in which plants receive a new life, and in which many 
of them perish. However serene are the days of spring, they often 
suddenly become darkened by clouds, by showers, and by tempests. 
Sometimes the morning dawns in the fulness of beauty ; when, ere 
the sun has gained the mid-heaven, the lustre which nattered our 
hopes of a fine day vanishes from our view ; at other times our most 
favourable hopes are realized, and we enjoy all the attractions of 
spring in full perfection. But how fugitive are these happy days, 
and how precipitate their flight ! Whilst we are eagerly courting 
their presence they vanish from our grasp ; and thus fly the fairest 
hours of life, even as fleeting moments 'of spring. The morning 
often meets us with smiles, and promises us nothing but joy and 
happiness ; but ere the evening comes, even before we have attained 
the noon, we experience the desolation of misfortune, and the bitter- 
ness of grief ; wo marks our course, and affliction follows our steps. 

Let us pause for a space, and consider the years of our youth, 
which we may regard as the spring of our life; how fleeting were the 
pleasures of our then tender age ! Many and various as they were, 
perhaps none of them now remain. Where are fled those happy mo- 
ments when, strangers to care, we gave ourselves up to the intoxica- 
ting influence of joy, and the enthusiastic rapture of unrestrained 



182 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. ' 

imagination 1 Where is now that gayety of heart that was wont te 
sparkle in the countenance and cheer the admiring beholder ? And 
where those roses which once bloomed in our cheeks ? We now no 
longer feel the turbulence of pleasure, the enthusiasm of ardour, nor 
the rapturous fervour of delight, which were wont to fire our senses 
and intoxicate our souls. We remember those happy days no more, 
but as the illusion of a dream, or as some pleasing phantasy that 
plays upon the imagination, and suddenly leaves us in all the con- 
sciousness of a weary existence. But it is not so with those who in 
their morning of life looked forward to the time when to learn is pain- 
ful, and again to grow young impracticable ; who, instead of expend- 
ing the ardour of youth in the pursuit of tasteless frivolity or hopeless 
dissipation, gathered with unceasing toil and unwearied assiduity the 
rich stores of wisdom, the enjoyment of which will ensure to them a 
measure of felicity, whilst the mere butterflies that flutter in the sun- 
beams are buried in the gloom of oblivion. 

Every where does the spring declare, in the expressive language of 
truth, the decay of life and the uncertainty of time. We now see the 
trees in the pride of verdure, adorned with their beautiful blossoms ; 
but in a few days these will be no more. All those tender flowers, 
whose beautiful forms diversify nature, will perish in the same season 
that gives them birth. Like these, the period of human life is short, 
and its longest duration may be compared to a day of spring. Death 
suddenly closes our eyes in night, even when the crimson tide of 
health promised us the succession of many years. Often the canker 
worm of disease is secretly gnawing the heart, whilst the counte- 
nance yet beams the lustre of health and the radiance of youth. Yet, 
though the charms of youth are blasted, as the glory of the valleys is 
sometimes darkened by the north wind, or as certainly as the pride of 
the garden fades ; though we fall like the rose which blooms to-day, 
and to-morrow withereth ; let us not repine nor mourn at our fate ; 
but let us enjoy all the charms of spring, and the blessings of life, 
which the Creator has graciously bestowed upon us. The thoughts 
of death can never destroy the pleasure of the virtuous, nor lessen the 
delight of innocence and the enjoyment of purity. Far from filling 
the mind with dismay, and rendering gloomy the heart, the certainty 
of death teaches us the insignificance of all terrestrial objects, and 
leads us to repose upon the Supreme Being, in the hope of quitting a 
world where every thing is perishable, for the regions of eternal glory 
and endless felicity. 



MAY XXV. 

SPRING EMBLEMATICAL OF THE RESURRECTION OP THE BODY. 

Most of the flowers which we now admire, and which so beautify 
the earth, were lately rough and shapeless roots. This may present 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 183 

us with a beautiful emblem of the resurrection of the righteous, and 
the reanimated state of their bodies. As the roots of the most exqui- 
site flowers, while buried in the earth, are destitute of form and beauty, 
but when in bloom have a thousand charms — so the human body, 
which in the precincts of the tomb is the object of horror and aver- 
sion, in the day of resurrection will experience a most astonishing 
change ; * for what is sown in corruption is raised in incorruption ; 
what is sown in dishonour is raised in glory.' As soon as the first 
mild days of spring appear, life and joy succeed the melancholy im- 
pressions excited by the rigours of winter ; and cause the chilling 
blasts to be forgotten. So will man in the great day of resurrection 
forget all his troubles, and no longer remember with pain the afflic- 
tions of his past life. Whilst in this state of existence, anxiety 
lowers on our brow, and our countenance often expresses the language 
of sorrow ; but soon as the cheering rays of a new creation shall en- 
lighten our souls, grief will be no more ; no clouds will obscure the 
serenity of our days, and a heavenly joy will gild all our moments. 

Spring is the joyful season when the earth undergoes a general 
renovation ; if in the winter it seemed dull and lifeless, it now ap- 
pears altogether gay and attractive. Every object delights us, and 
we seem each spring to enjoy the pleasing variety of a new world. 
So also in the day of resurrection will the just man be transported into 
a new and delightful region. The new heaven and the new earth 
will be free from all the evils which now so often trouble us ; peace, 
order, beauty, and justice, will render our future abode more happy 
than the most ardent imagination can conceive to be possible. 

When the heat of the sun's rays has penetrated the earth, thou- 
sands of plants and flowers rise up out of its bosom. So will it be on 
the great day, when thousands of generations shall arise from the 
dust in which they have been buried. As the flowers of spring come 
forth from their seed decked in beauty and splendour, so the bodies of 
the righteous which have been deposited in the earth shall one day 
arise, encompassed with glory and arrayed in beauty. Spring is the 
epoch of vegetation for grass, flowers, and every species of plants ; it 
is then that every thing which has pushed above the surface of the 
earth developes itself more and more every day, and visibly increases 
its strength and beauty : and the day of the resurrection shall be to 
the soul of the Christian the epoch of the boundless progress he will 
make in all good ; no weakness will detain, no obstacle impede him 
on his way in the path of perfection ; he will proceed from virtue to 
virtue, and from felicity to felicity. In spring all nature seems to 
arise as from a state of sleep to praise its Author ; the notes of all the 
inhabitants of the air swell in one universal hymn to glorify the Be- 
ing who formed them ; and, in the joyful hour of resurrection, simi- 
lar songs shall ascend from the children of God, who have received 
new life and immortality. 



184 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

MAY XXVI. 

ATTRACTIVE POWER OF BODIES. 

We often see two bodies approach each other without being" im- 
pelled by any external force. The cause which produces this effect 
is called attraction, or that principle whereby the minuter particles of 
matter tend towards one another. This power of attraction is one of 
the principal agents of nature ; by its operation fluids ascend in ca- 
pillary tubes ; and it is in some degree the cause of the juices circu- 
lating in the capillary vessels of plants and animals. The expansive 
power of the air also contributes in plants to this effect, for a portion 
of air is found in the fluid by which they are nourished. Vegetables 
are also provided with air-vessels, which imbibe the external air, and 
assist the ascent of the sap ; but the chief cause of this phenomenon 
is capillary attraction. It is well known that a series of capillary 
tubes exist in the human body, where the fluids are in continual mo- 
tion ; and this motion is partly regulated by the laws of attraction. 
Many of the phenomena we observe in the material world have this 
attractive power for their principle, and by it is most satisfactorily ex- 
plained the motion of the heavenly bodies. These spheres, separated 
from each other by immense intervals, must be united by some secret 
bond, to form such a perfect whole as the solar system. It is now 
generally admitted, that the union of these heavenly bodies, their 
direction, the law which prevents them from deviating from their 
prescribed route, the motion of the planets and the comets round the 
sun, all depend upon the attractive power of that star, and the gravi- 
tation of these bodies towards him. How admirable is that wisdom 
which, by means of the same law, causes the vegetation of grass and 
the motion of the universe ! 

All these reflections lead us to glorify the Supreme Wisdom. If it 
manifests itself in the government of the celestial bodies, it is equally 
apparent in that of rational creatures. The Creator always acts 
upon principles equally wise, after the same laws, accomplishing every 
thing with the greatest simplicity. But we are often so blind as not 
to acknowledge him, because we imagine that he only appears in 
things which possess grandeur and brilliancy. When cities and pro- 
vinces are devastated by an earthquake, inundated with water, or 
consumed by fire, our attention is arrested ; and in these convulsions 
of nature we perceive the traces of Providence. But why do we not 
perceive him equally in small things 1 why do we not behold the 
marks of his wisdom in the common occurrences of life? Is it only 
extraordinary events that proclaim the power and justice of God ? Is 
it not equally displayed in the smallest blade of grass as in the mo- 
tion of the heavenly bodies ? To be convinced of the wisdom and 
goodness which are manifested throughout the kingdom of God, we 
need not go to distant places, or seek amidst remote objects. We 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 185 

need only dwell on what relates to ourselves, and the particular dia 
pensation of Providence in our own behalf. 



MAY XXVII. 

COMPLAINTS OP MEN AGAINST THE LAWS OF NATURE. 

c Why is the human body, from its constitution, subject to so many 
accidents and infirmities V Let him who asks this question say, if it 
is possible to figure to himself a body which can unite more advan- 
tages than that which he has received from his Creator ! It was in- 
compatible with the nature and catenation of things below, that man 
should be provided with a body that was invulnerable. Though some 
are deformed, others lame, and deaf and dumb, we have no reason to 
murmur at the decrees of Providence. These defects are not so fre- 
quent as to give us occasion to r«pine ; and those who are still dis- 
posed to complain would do well to reflect on the following truths. 

It is useful to the generality of men that some examples of the 
defects to which the human body is liable should now and then oc- 
cur ; for when a healthy and sound person compares himself with 
one who is not so, he at once perceives all the advantages of perfect 
and well-formed limbs ; he learns to prize a gift of whose value he 
was before ignorant, and is more careful to preserve it. How precious 
is each eye, each organ of sense, each joint and limb — more dear to 
us than the richest treasure ! Our body is more beautiful and regular 
than the most superb building, more excellent than the most exqui- 
sitely wrought machine ; and yet, inferior as these are, we are far from 
attributing .them to blind chance. 

' Why are some countries of the earth so different from one an- 
other ; sometimes cold, sometimes wet, sometimes low, at others ele- 
vated ?' If thou, O man ! hadst the power of forming a globe, where 
every thing should contribute to the welfare of men and animals, 
would thy understanding furnish thee with the plan of one better 
than that of our sphere 1 The countries of the earth produce, by 
means of their diversity, exhalations and different winds, from which 
results that medium of air, which experience teaches us is best 
adapted to the health and comfort of animal life, and the promotion 
of vegetation. c It is, however, incontestable that the variations of 
weather are not advantageous to all men and to all countries.' But 
has not the weather which has preceded an influence upon that which 
follows 1 and the temperature of one country an influence upon that 
of another? Is it in our power to judge of the whole ] Are a thou- 
sand husbandmen to sigh for a shower, because the continuance of a 
drought will accommodate the arrangements of one housewife 1 A 
certain state of air will occasion in some places a degree of sterility ; 
but can that be called an evil which prevents the impurity of the 
atmosphere 1 Should an east wind, benefiting a whole country, cease 



186 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

to blow, because from its violence some ships are wrecked, and some 
particular people injured ? Is it just or reasonable to blame or remark 
imperfections in a part, when we cannot comprehend the whole? 
' Why are there so many noxious animals V Does any one think that 
no rapacious animals should exist upon the earth ? Let such people 
reflect, that, by the beasts of prey, the number of animals which 
would be troublesome to us is diminished. And it is because many 
animals serve for food to beasts of prey, that the number of living 
creatures is preserved. If these rapacious beasts did not exist, the 
carcasses of the animals they devour would be rather prejudicial than 
useful. The animals thus devoured are replaced by others, and the 
population is regulated by the means of subsistence ; hence flies and 
many insects would perish from want, if the animals which feed upon 
them did not thin their numbers. 

* Whence is it that the Creator has regulated the course of nature 
by such invariable laws V Is it not precisely by means of this ar- 
rangement that man, assisted by nature and guided by experience, is 
enabled to make use of his understanding and of his powers, and be- 
come in some degree the worker of his own good ? Would we wish 
to dwell in a world where we should have no occasion for activity ; 
where none of our pleasures could be increased by any exertions on 
our part ; where there was no rule or fundamental law ; and where 
the alternations of good and evil, of pleasure and of pain, being un- 
known, we should have nothing to render us attentive to the laws of 
nature? 

There will ever be a number of things in nature, the designs of 
which, and the relations they bear to each other, must remain con- 
cealed ; and we may find some, which, to our limited understanding, 
appear contradictory, and little adapted to the plan of the Deity. But 
in such cases, let us bear in mind that God performs every thing with 
the wisest and most beneficent views ; and when any doubts and dif- 
ficulties shall arise, let us say with the apostle — * O the depth of the 
riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! How unsearch- 
able are his judgments, and his ways past finding out ! For who 
hath known the mind of the Lord ? Or who hath been his coun- 
sellor ? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things ; to 
whom be glory for ever. Amen.' 



MAY XXVIII. 

OP THE SINS TO WHICH WE ARE MOST PRONE DURING THE 

SPRING. 

Is it possible that we can profane, by sin, that season which of all 
others should more especially animate us to the practice of piety 1 Is 
it not natural to suppose that in these beautiful days every field would 
be a temple where we might offer up the incense of a grateful heart, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS 187 

and the thanksgiving of a virtuous mind ; where every thought, sen- 
timent, and action, should tend to the glory of our Creator 1 But, 
alas ! we daily witness the ingratitude of men towards their heavenly 
Benefactor ; they see nature renewed, they see the flowers that had 
decayed revive, and a variety of pleasing objects every where attract 
their notice, without ever thinking of their Maker, and rendering 
unto him the just praises of his excellence. This odious vice of in- 
gratitude, the source of much iniquity, is most evident at this season ; 
and shall man, the only creature in the universe capable of reflecting 
upon his happiness, be the only one insensible to it 1 

It is to such an unfeeling and ungrateful soul that I now address 
myself; but I can scarcely expect my feeble accents to penetrate 
within the recesses of thy heart, when the voice of God has been 
heard in vain, and the energetic and expressive language of nature 
disregarded. Canst thou forget thy Creator, when all his works de- 
clare him ] If thou knowest not thy God, thou canst neither know 
thyself nor the world in which thou livest. Every creature reminds 
thee of its Author ; every place in the vast dominion of nature is full 
of the Deity. He manifests himself in every blade of grass ; in 
every flower, and in every bird, he speaks the sweet and persuasive 
language of nature : he addresses himself to thy senses, to thy rea- 
son, to thy conscience, and to all thy faculties. Listen to this lan- 
guage, and thou mayest become sensible and grateful. 

How dost thou employ these fine days of spring? Surely thou 
shouldst emerge from thy chamber and visit the treasures of the 
fields, and the beauties of the gardens, where thou mightest inhale 
a pure and balmy air. But beware of yielding to the extravagance 
of sinful pleasures ; in whose train follow anguish, disease, and in- 
famy. Truly to enjoy the beauties of spring and all the delights of 
the season, is to observe with attention the works of nature, whilst 
thy reason informs thee of the power and wisdom of the Creator 
there displayed ; thy heart will then experience raptures infinitely 
superior to the pleasures of those who forget their God. 

Let us now turn our attention to those who in this season are the 
slaves of care, and fear they shall not be able to find the means of 
subsistence. O ye of little faith ! Behold the lilies of the field how 
they grow ; consider the fowls of the air, they sow not, neither do 
they reap, yet their heavenly Father feedeth them. Be assured, then, 
and put your full confidence in God. Spring is the season of hope, 
give it a place in your bosom ; and when doubts shall assail, and 
fears come upon you, cast your view abroad over the fields and mea- 
dows, and remember the words of your Redeemer : ' If God so clothe 
the grass of the field, if he feed the fowls of the air, how much more 
will he nourish thee, O thou of little faith P The wicked only have 
cause to fear for the future ; but he who unites integrity to industry, 
and virtue to intellect, will ensure unto himself a portion of comfort 
here, and ever-during felicity in the world to come. Let us then re- 
joice in our existence, and while we employ this delightful season of 
the year in contemplating the works of nature, look up with joy and 



J 88 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

gratitude to him who has given us the glorious privilege above mil- 
lions of other creatures, of knowing the God of nature is the sole au- 
thor of all happiness. 



MAY XXIX. 

HARMONY OF BEES. 

The comfort and happiness which bees enjoy are in a considerable 
degree owing to their harmony and patriotism. At least, it is evi- 
dent that their community must be immediately destroyed if they did 
not live together in a state of union. From the observations of those 
who have investigated this subject, it appears that these insects return 
to their hives laden with materials for building their cells, and there 
are others in waiting to ease them of their burden. They again 
sally forth, and whilst they are collecting fresh materials, those which 
remain in the hive knead together the little parcels which the others 
have brought, and thus prepare a mass proper for building. Others, 
which are not immediately employed in working, render kind offices 
to the labourers, and bring them food, that the work may go on with- 
out interruption. 

The patriotism of bees is not less than their harmony. The wealth 
of the whole state consists in the riches of each citizen ; and this nu- 
merous republic forms but one family, in which is no personal interest, 
no avarice, and no rapine : here no troop of bees unites to do violence 
to, or fight against the interests of, each other ;^no bee is ever found 
living in luxury and superfluity, whilst another is destitute of the ne- 
cessaries of life ; nor are they anxious to acquire more honey than 
will suffice for their winter's provision. 

Insignificant as these insects may appear, we may learn from them 
those virtues upon which depend the repose and the happiness of our 
lives. In whatever state or condition we may be placed, it is neces- 
sary for us to act in concert with our fellow-creatures, and to cultivate 
the virtues of patriotism : the society in which we live, Christianity, 
and our own happiness, demand it. Let us cheerfully bear our part 
of the general burden, and, if it is necessary, charge ourselves with 
the burden of another, who, from ignorance or weakness, is unable 
to support it. And when our duty, our conscience, and our religion, 
require us to make sacrifices for our brethren, let us never regard it as 
a loss ; but rather consider it as an honour that we have been capable 
of labouring with more Zealand success than others. Let the base 
principles of selfishness never find a place in our hearts ; they who 
endeavour to enrich themselves at the expense of another, and to ap- 
propriate unto themselves alone the treasures of their country, are 
despicable members of society, who have forfeited their dignity, and 
sunk beneath the level of brutes. Whenever we are in any degree 
able to contribute to the general good, let not the uncertainty of being 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 189 

rewarded prevent our exertions ; the testimony of a good conscience 
and the blessings of eternity, will sufficiently repay us. 

It is too true, however, that one of the greatest evils of life is the 
want of harmony and concord among the individuals of the human 
race. Even in this we may admire the wisdom of God, who notwith- 
standing the want of union, and the disorders which reign in the 
world, notwithstanding the universal self-interest which governs 
men, still supports society and renders it flourishing. When a care- 
ful pilot steers his vessel in safety amidst the shoals and the rocks 
against which the waves strive to dash him, we admire his skill and 
experience ; so when we see, in spite of the wickedness of men, in 
the midst of the storms and ebullitions of their passions, the dominion 
of wisdom and the preservation of virtue, we may admire and rever- 
ence the eternal wisdom of Him who governs the universe. 



I 



MAY XXX. 

PRODIGIOUS NUMBER OF PLANTS UPON THE EARTH. 

More than twenty thousand different species of plants have been 
already observed, and new ones are daily discovered. By means of 
the microscope some have been found where they were least expected. 
The different variety of mosses and sponges have been classed among 
vegetables, and have presented to the observation of the naturalist 
seeds and flowers before unknown. Freestone is sometimes covered 
with brown and blackish spots ; the mouldy substance which com- 
poses them adhereslo various other matters, and may be considered 
as a little garden in vegetation, where the plants, though exceedingly 
minute, have visible seeds and flowers. When we reflect upon the 
quantity of moss which covers even the hardest stones, the trunks of 
trees, and the most barren places ; when we consider the quantity of 
vegetables upon the surface of the earth ; the different species of 
flowers which delight and refresh us ; the trees and bushes ; add to 
these the aquatic plants, some of which exceed a hair in fineness ; 
we may be able to form some idea of the multitude of plants in the 
vegetable kingdom. 

All these species grow up and are preserved without detriment to 
one another, each having a place assigned it which is most suited to 
its properties. Such is the wisdom displayed in their distribution over 
the surface of the earth, that there is no part of it wholly destitute, 
and no part enjoys them in too great abundance. Some plants require 
the open field, where, unsheltered by trees, they may receive the sun's 
rays ; others can only exist in water ; some grow in the sand ; others 
in marshes and fens, which are frequently covered with water ; and 
some bud on the surface of the earth, whilst others unfold themselves 
in its bosom. 

The different strata which compose the soil of the earth, as sand, 



190 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

clay, chalk, &c. have each their different vegetables ; and hence it 
is that in the vast garden of nature nothing is absolutely sterile ; 
from the finest sand to the flinty rock, from the torrid to the frozen 
zone, each soil and climate supports plants peculiar to itself. 

Another circumstance highly worthy of attention is, the Creator 
has so ordered, that, among this immense variety of plants, those 
which are most proper for food or medicine, either to man or beast, 
grow in greater abundance than those which are of less utility. 
Herbs are much more numerous than trees and brambles ; grass is in 
greater abundance than oaks ; and cherry-trees more plentiful than 
apricots : had oaks been more frequent than grass, or trees than herbs 
and roots, it would have been impossible for animals to subsist. 
Almighty and merciful God, here also we have to acknowledge the 
wonders of thy Providence ! Thy goodness is every where manifest- 
ed, and there is no mind so weak that does not comprehend that 
Thou art all-great, all-powerful, and good ! to be convinced of this 
we have only to contemplate the widely extended vegetable kingdom. 
Wherever we go at this season of the year, we walk on plants and 
flowers ; and as far as we can extend our view we behold fields and 
meadows, covered with the rich blessings of heaven ! 



MAY XXXI. 

PLURALITY OF WORLDS. 

Pride, ignorance, or self-love, induce some p£ ople to believe tha*. 
our world is the only part of the immense universe which is inhabited ; 
that the sun is only formed to give us his light and heat ; and that 
the moon and the stars answer no other purpose than to enlighten 
the gloom of our nights, and serve as guides to the mariner and the 
traveller. The contemplation of the fixed stars alone is sufficient to 
refute this absurd opinion. Their brilliancy demonstrates that they 
shine by their own light ; and from their being visible to us notwith- 
standing their immense distance, we are justified in supposing them 
to be much larger than our sun. And is it consonant with divine 
wisdom, which has not created a single particle of matter in vain, 
that these immense bodies, each in itself a sun, so numerous and so 
distant from our earth, should shine with ineffectual light, and not be 
destined to some great and noble end ? 

If they were merely intended to serve as nocturnal lights to our 
world they could be of no use during the greatest part of the year. 
The clouded atmosphere which often envelopes us, and the short 
nights of summer, which are sufficiently light without the aid of 
stars, would render them useless ; and those stars, of which there 
are many which we cannot see with the naked eye, because of their 
vast distance, would exist in vain : and their supposed destination 
would be much better accomplished by one single star placed nearer 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 191 

to, than by millions so distantly situated that their rays could not 
reach us. The same kind of reasoning will hold for whatever use we 
imagine the stars to be created ; whether for the purposes of naviga- 
tion, or any other use, we shall fall equally short of the truth, and 
must ultimately be brought to confess that if no creatures beyond our 
globe profited by their light and heat, or if they themselves were not 
inhabited by living beings, their creation would be useless, and their 
existence superfluous : but the Almighty has created nothing that is 
not pregnant with utility ; and if we can discover nothing, however 
insignificant, on this earth that does not answer some end, how much 
more must these immense bodies tend to manifest the power and glory 
of God ! 

This conclusion will appear still more just if we reflect attentively 
upon the solar system. We have seen in a former discourse that the 
moon in many respects resembles our earth ; and from all that we 
have been able to discover of her, we have reason to believe she con- 
tains inhabitants. The analogy between the moon and the planets 
leads us to suppose they also are inhabited ; and, as each, fixed star 
has, according to all appearance, like our sun, its particular planets, 
so we may reasonably suppose they in some degree resemble the 
planets in our system : and thus we see around us an innumerable 
multitude of worlds, each having its peculiar arrangement, laws, pro- 
ductions, and inhabitants. 

How infinite are the works of God ! How majestic the starry hea- 
vens ! and how great must be their Creator, whose glory millions of 
worlds declare, and whose all-intelligent power the myriads which 
inhabit them, adoring, acknowledge ! Let us unite in the heavenly 
choir, that whilst incense from millions of worlds is ascending unto 
the God of all power, we alone may not be wanting in the universal 
song of joy, of praise, and of thanksgiving, to the great God of all, 
the Father of light and glory. How grandly does the prospect of 
futurity open upon our souls, when we shall become acquainted with 
the worlds whose existence we can now barely ascertain, and the 
least of whose wonders we are unable to comprehend ! when we 
shall be initiated into all the mysteries of heaven, and admitted 
within the circle of that glory whose radiance emanates from the 
Creator ! 



A HYMN OF THANKSGIVING. 



Celebrate the praises of the Lord, and adore him. Exalt, praise, 
and sing the marvellous and wonderful works of your Creator, all ye 
whom he has made capable of enjoying them ! For great is his 
power who has created the heaven and all its hosts, whose beauty 
and splendour announce the glory of the Parent of light and life ; 
the universe declares it, and the eye is never weary with contempla- 
ting that in which it continually discovers new beauties. But the 



192 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

eye alone does not enjoy these pleasures ; the beauties of nature speak 
to the soul, and fill it with rapture. 

O man, is there a blade of grass, a leaf, or a grain of dust, which 
does not proclaim to thee the council of the strong God ] How rich 
is He in power and beneficence ! but, alas ! how often does He find 
thee insensible ; thy heart is hardened, and thine eye turns away 
from his works ! Yet for thee His creative hand has diffused life and 
beauty through all things ; for thee He has created, preserved, and 
adorned so many different beings which thou beholdest in the garden 
of nature. 

Thy God has need of nothing : it is for thy happiness that he has 
diversified the creation with so many charms, and that he has endued 
thee with an intelligent, immortal soul. Why then wilt thou seek 
happiness in that which is false and deceitful] Turn thine eye to 
thy God ; from him thou wilt derive true felicity : enjoy the bless- 
ings which he gives thee, and repentance will never follow the enjoy 
ment. 



JUNE I. 

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WORKS OF NATURE AND OF ART. 

When we compare the works of nature with those of art, we find 
that the former infinitely surpass the latter. And when we consider 
that the works of art are merely imitations from nature, there can be 
no doubt entertained on the subject. The nearer an artist approaches 
to nature the more perfect is his work ; he can invent nothing that is 
new, and his most sanguine hopes are to imitate nature, which is rich 
and various, whilst the variety of art is soon at an end, and her re- 
sources quickly exhausted. The kingdom of nature is almost unli- 
mited ; we may every where find treasures inexhaustible, and stores 
without end ; her minutest objects are worthy of observation ; and 
whether we examine a stone, a plant, or an animal, we shall find that 
they contain beauties which captivate, and perfections which asto- 
nish. The works of art, on the contrary, are soon exhausted : if we 
scrutinize them with the eye of critical nicety, we discover faults 
which we did not expect, and imperfections which we did not ima- 
gine ; our admiration ceases, and we turn from them without de- 
light. 

The works of art, and the proudest monuments of human skill, 
are mouldering in the dust, while those of nature continue in the vi- 
gour of youth and the freshness of beauty. The advantage of the 
latter in structure, over the former, is not less evident ; whoever com- 
pares the mechanism of the most ingenious machine with that of ani- 
mals, will be amazed with the one, whilst he considers the other as 
a mere bauble, or toy. To take the human body as an example : 
how wonderfully is it organized ! The perfect and regular structure 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 193 

of the muscles, each one admirably adapted to its particular use ; the 
circulation of the blood ; the complicated variety of motions ; the 
symmetry of the limbs, and the diversity of the functions ; all dis- 
play the most abundant proofs of the works of an Artificer, in com- 
parison of which those of man are of less account than the dust in the 
balance. 

It would be useless to weary the reader with more observations to 
prove a self-evident fact : for, though such is the depravity of human 
nature, that our self-love induces us to prefer our own productions to 
those of another ; and the taste of some men is so vitiated that they 
are disposed to disregard, and consider with indifference, whatever is 
not produced by human industry and human ingenuity ; few would 
be found so hardy as to expose their folly , and evince their total des- 
titution of feeling, by asserting the puny efforts of art to be superior 
to the rolling of the billows, the cloud-capt mountains, and the smil- 
ing verdure of the valleys, together with all those stupendous and 
beautiful works that the ever-varying face of nature continually pre- 
sents, the study of which yields delight and joy ineffable. Whilst it 
expands the mind, it renders the heart susceptible of all those feelings 
which raise the dignity of human nature, and advance it nearer to 
that Being who is the Source of all mercy and goodness ; whom the 
more we contemplate the more we desire to imitate ; and the more 
we imitate the more fitted we become for the blessed realms of peace, 
and the practice of every virtue. 



JUNE II. 

LEAVES OF TREES 

Leaves, the ornament of trees, are one of the chief beauties of na- 
ture. Our impatience to see them bud in the spring, and our joy 
when they appear, sufficiently declare how much we consider them 
the pride of our gardens, fields, and woods. What a grateful shade 
they form in the hot days of summer, when, retreating from the fer- 
vent rays of the sun, we repose on the bank of some clear stream be- 
neath the overhanging trees ! Yet this is the least of the advantages 
which the leaves of trees afford. We have only to consider their 
wonderful structure, to be convinced that they are formed to answer 
much more important purposes. Each leaf has certain vessels, which, 
being closely compressed at the extremity of the stalk, extend them- 
selves like ribs on the interior part of the leaf, and ramify in various 
directions ; and every leaf contains also an astonishing number of 
pores. In one species of box, called Palma Cereris, one hundred and 
seventy-two thousand pores have been enumerated on one side of the 
leaf. In the open air the leaves turn their upper surface towards the 
sky ; and the under towards the earth, or the interior part of the 
plant. To what purpose could this particular arrangement conduce, 
17 Z 



194 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

if leaves had no other use than that of ornamenting trees, and afford- 
ing an agreeable shade ? Surely the Creator had something more 
important in view. 

Leaves are instrumental to the nutrition of plants, by imbibing 
through their pores the humidity of the atmosphere, which they com- 
municate to the whole plant. How admirable is the wisdom of their 
organization ! By its means, plants in dry seasons do not run the 
hazard of being deprived of moisture ; they receive a plentiful supply 
of refreshing dew, which, falling upon the upper leaves, drops from 
them upon the lower ones, so that all receive a portion, and none of 
the invigorating juice is lost. It appears from various experiments, 
that plants perspire to a considerable amount, and the leaves have 
been ascertained to be the chief organs of this function. They also 
contribute to introduce into the interior of the plant the air of which 
it is in want, as well as to extricate that which it has used ; and they 
tend to the preservation of the buds which are to bloom the following 
year ; hence many trees, when stripped of their leaves, wither and 
die. This frequently happens to the mulberry-tree, whose leaves are 
taken to feed silk-worms ; and this is the reason why the grapes never 
arrive at maturity, when the vine has been stripped of its leaves in 
summer. 

We may make another remark upon this subject, which throws 
some light on the manner in which plants acquire their gradual 
growth. The interior surface of leaves, which is turned towards the 
earth, is always of a paler colour and less shining appearance, and is 
more rough and spongy than the upper surface. This peculiarity 
enables it more effectually to imbibe the dew which exhales from the 
earth, and to distribute it with more facility and abundance to the 
whole plant. The leaves turn to that part whence they receive the 
most nourishment ; hence we observe the leaves of certain plants 
hang very low. The leaves of trees which grow on a steep moun- 
tain take a perpendicular direction, by which they are able to acquire 
the necessary degree of humidity. 

We have here fresh cause to admire the supreme wisdom of God, 
and we may henceforth consider the leaves of trees in another point 
of view. When we were ignorant of their structure, and of the im- 
portant ends that they answered, it was not extraordinary that we 
saw them with indifference. But now that we know each leaf dis- 
plays evident marks of Divine Power, and is an organ of fertility, it 
will be impossible to view them again with inattention or disregard; 
and whenever we see them we shall acknowledge that every thing, 
even the least object of nature, has been arranged by the wisdom of 
the Creator.* 

* From the experiments of certain chemists it appears, that, during the day, the leaves 
of plants absorb carbonic acid gas, which is necessary for the nutrition and growth ot 
plants, and they exhale moisture "and oxygen gas ; it is farther proved by Senebier, that 
the oxygen gas emitted by the leaves of plants depends on the presence of carbonic acid 
gas, which the leaves first absorb and afterwards decompose, and then give out the oxy- 
gen while they retain the carbon ; these operations require the influence of light, which 
also is essential to the green colour of plants, for when they vegetate in the dark they 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 195 

JUNE III. 

• x 

; 

VIVIFYING POWER OP TJ7E SUN. 

When first the sun awakens the morn, joy and serenity are diffused 
over the soul. The heat and brilliancy of the great luminary of day 
comraunicate to man the cheerfulness and activity by which he is 
enabled to fulfil the various duties of his vocation, and enjoy the en- 
dearments of social life. The indolence and mental depression which 
often during the winter rendered us incapable of action, are now dis- 
sipated ; we feel more pleasure in our existence, and perform our 
duties with greater ease and comfort. How could it be otherwise, 
when we witness the universal joy that the sun communicates to the 
world, and when we see every thing around us affected by his all- 
vivifying rays 1 He animates every creature, and rejoices them by 
his genial influence ; millions of brilliant insects awaken and sport 
in his rays ; the birds tune their music to his praises, and every thing 
which breathes rejoices at his appearance. Every where the joyful 
effects of his influence are felt : he causes the sap to rise in trees, 
plants, and vegetables ; he unfolds the young leaves, and gives to the 
flowers their sweet charms ; he forms the fruits, gives them their 
beautiful hue, and hastens their maturity. He diffuses light and life 
throughout the creation, and without him all nature would languish 
and die. 

The influence of the sun is not only manifest upon the surface of 
the globe ; it reaches the depths of caverns, penetrates mountains, is 
felt within the ocean, and produces various and important changes on 
animals, plants, and minerals, whether above or beneath the surface 
of the earth. 

When we consider these salutary effects of the sun, it is natural to 
reflect upon the miserable state in which we should be if deprived of 
his light and heat. Without him our earth would be a sterile and life- 
less mass, void of order or beauty : the trees could not unfold their 
leaves, nor the plants their flowers ; the meadows would languish 
without verdure, and the fields without harvests ; and all nature 
would present one wild aspect of sterile deformity. Such was the 
state of the moral world before the vivifying power of Christ diffused 
life and consolation over the hearts ^ men, and, by the purity and 
force of his light, dispelled the gloom of ignorance, and the shade of 
mental darkness, that held in bondage the soul. 

The sun's vivifying rays emanating from him in all directions, may 
be considered as an emblem of the happy influence of a truly good 
man, who scatters joy and blessings on all around him. He strength- 
are entirely white. During the night, leaves perform quite opposite functions ; for they 
fthes absorb moisture and oxygen gas, and emit carbonic acid gas. Another very im- 
portant function of leaves, is the power they have of converting the sap into a different 
fluid ; it is completely ascertained, that the sap ascends to the leaves, where it undergoes 
certain changes, and £here becomes a fluid, which is instrumental in forming the different 
parts of plants, as the chyle converted into blood is in forming those of animals. — E. 



196 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

eneth the weak, cheereth the afflicted, instructeth the ignorant, and 
relieveth the poor. Such a being is a noble example of what virtue 
and human nature is capable ; and may we each, according to our 
station and degree, endeavour to imitate such a character with full 
purpose of heart : it is in the power of each individual to become bet- 
ter ; and the longer we refrain from iniquity, the more easy is the path 
to virtue. Let us each labour for our mutual improvement, and im- 
part to those who are in want a portion of the blessings which we are 
favoured to receive : our days will then glide on imperceptibly ; our 
hearts, estranged from every sordid care and base passion, will be the 
seat of love, of peace, and of joyful harmony ; and when our last 
hour shall arrive, we shall calmly repose in humble confidence on the 
bosom of our God, amid the prayers and blessings of thousands of our 
fellow-creatures* 



JUNE IV. 

DESIRES OF THE SOUL UNLIMITED. 

Let us employ a few moments in reflecting on our own particular 
state ; and certainly the consideration of our immortal soul has the 
first claim to our attention, as more nearly concerning us than any 
thing this world can afford. Whatever satisfaction we may feel in 
contemplating the objects of the material world, is infinitely short of 
that which we derive from meditating upon the nature and faculties 
of the soul. The contemplation of external objects which the tra- 
veller meets with on his way is doubtless highly pleasing, because he 
requires recreation and amusements in his pilgrimage : but by the 
contemplation of spiritual objects we are led to the consideration of 
the immortality of tine soul, and the endless felicity of the righteous 
in the world to come. Let us often reflect upon the desires which are 
impressed on our souls. Experience convinces us that our desire for 
knowledge can neve* be satisfied ; as soon as we have made one dis- 
covery, we thirst after more information, and, in proportion as our 
ignorance diminishes, we wish for more knowledge. Our desires are 
insatiate, and when we at length enjoy what we most ardently longed 
for, new wishes spring up, and the desire of receiving additional bless- 
ings accompanies us from infancy to the grave. 

From all this we may infer, that, as no external object gratifies us 
long, as our desires never end with enjoyment, and nothing present 
is entirely satisfactory, but that we are continually looking for future 
blessings without ever being fully gratified, there is a state of exist- 
ence beyond the present, the desire of which is so strongly implanted 
in our souls, that nothing short of it completely satisfies us. Can 
any one suppose that man should be the only creature upon the earth, 
which possessed a faculty, without the power of obtaining the end 
for which that faculty was given him 1 or that man alone should 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 197 

possess an instinct whose instigations he could not satisfy ? This, 
indeed, would render his condition more pitiable than that of the 
brutes ; for when an animal of that description is hungry or thirsty, 
it finds aliment to supply its wants : we see the silk-worm spin its 
cone, and shut itself up within it till it comes forth a new creature ; 
and we see birds lay eggs ; but would these things happen if it were 
not designed for the preservation of their species] If then our exist- 
ence was limited to the short span of this present life, why are im- 
planted in our souls desires boundless as infinitude, and inclinations 
which nothing earthly can gratify ] And why have we faculties 
which are ever grasping at something beyond their reach] Surely 
the great Author of nature has never given us such desires without 
some wise and noble end, much less has he endowed us with them 
that they may be our tormentors. 

Gracious God ! my soul feels Thy sweet influence, and loves Thee 
above all other things.. It aspires to imitate thy perfection, and unite 
itself unto Thee for ever ; it can soar above all terrestrial objects, and 
continue its lofty flight till it reaches Thy throne. And can this 
soul, this principle of power and intelligence, the emanation of the 
Deity, ever be annihilated] Were that the case, vain would be our 
knowledge, and fruitless our love of God. For the utmost stretch of 
human attainment is very little ; the highest degree of perfection 
which man can possibly acquire is very inferior, and infinitely short of 
what he conceives. Doubtless, then, all the excellence which we 
are permitted to possess upon the earth, and all the intelligence which 
we are enabled to attain, are but the forerunners of that endless feli- 
city, the hope of which cheers every heart. 

From these considerations we may learn something of our future 
destination. We now see that the desire of increasing in wisdom 
and virtue, and the wish of always approximating nearer to God, 
the Source of all perfection, are not accidental, or given us in vain ; 
we now know, that the happiness which our imagination could anti- 
cipate but not enjoy in this state of being, will be the endless reward 
of the just ; and we are now convinced, that those favoured moments 
in which the love of God warmed our hearts, when all the blessings 
of heaven opened before our view, and when we so ardently longed 
after perfection, were not useless nor without efficacy. We are con- 
tinually advancing towards perfection ; and the more earnest and 
unremitting are our endeavours, the nearer shall we attain to it ; no 
faculties of the soul are useless, and the more they are exercised the 
greater will be their powers. Let us then rejoice in our immortality, 
and ascend from what is "visible to what is invisible. Let us in the 
midst of pleasure, when surrounded with all that this world can 
afford, when animated by hope, and in the enjoyment of every bless- 
ing which the most favoured children of humanity are permitted to 
receive, lift up our souls to heaven, and reflect upon the purity of God, 
that we may be preserved from the allurements of sense, and not de- 
base our faculties by pursuits beneath the dignity of human nature, 
and incompatible with the sacred duties of Christianity. 



198 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

JUNE V. 

UTILITY OF RIVERS. 

When we calculate the space which our rivers occupy, we find that 
it takes up a considerable part of the earth. Let those who are dis- 
contented with this arrangement, and imagine that it would be more 
beneficial if the rivers had been fewer and the land more abundant, 
consider with what wisdom and beautiful proportion the Creator has 
formed the globe, and they will then doubtless be ready to acknow- 
ledge that the rivers have not been distributed upon the earth without 
the wisest views, and an evident utility to man, and every living 
creature. 

' First, we may observe, that river-water supplies a very wholesome 
beverage. Spring or pump water, when it has remained long under 
the earth without agitation, detaches and dissolves, or holds suspend- 
ed, particles of matter which may be injurious to our system ; but 
river-water, which is continually evaporating, and constantly under- 
going agitation, refines itself from all impurities, and becomes the 
most salubrious drink for men and beasts. 

This is far from being the only use of rivers ; do we not owe to 
them the neatness, salubrity, and comfort of our dwellings, as well 
as the fertility of our fields ] Our habitations are always unhealthy 
when surrounded by marshes and stagnant waters, or when a drought 
is produced in consequence of the want of water. The smallest 
river is refreshing, and cools the air ; whilst the earth is rendered more 
fertile. What an astonishing difference is observed between a coun- 
try watered by various streams, and one to which nature has denied 
this blessing ! The one is dry, barren, and desert ; the other flourishes 
like a garden, where woods, valleys, meadows, and fields, present 
every variety of beauty. A river meandering through a country, 
carries with it refreshment, abundance, and prosper^ ; and not only 
irrigates the roots of plants, but fertilizes the earth by frequent inun- 
dations and continual evaporation. 

Surely then no one can be so inattentive and ungrateful as not to 
acknowledge the advantage of rivers, seeing that they are the source 
of such numerous blessings. If, by means of rivers, merchandise 
•could not be floated through every part of a kingdom, commerce would 
foe impeded ; without their assistance the machinery of numerous 
manufactories would be stopped, agriculture would suffer, and the 
tables of the luxurious would be deprived of many of their delicacies. 
The only inconvenience of rivers is their being sometimes subject to 
inundations, which occasion very considerable damage : but this, com- 
pared with their many advantages, is trifling; inundations do not 
happen very often ; they seldom extend far ; and whatever temporary 
losses they may occasion, they amply indemnify by enriching and 
fertilizing the land. Thus the consideration of rivers will convince 
the attentive observer, that the divine goodness is manifested through 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 199 

all nature, in the ocean, and in the rivers of water, equally as upon 
the solid earth. We find every thing conduces to our happiness and 
advantage ; and if we were deprived of any one of the blessings we 
now enjoy, part of our comfort and felicity would be taken away. 



JUNE VI. 

DIVERSITY OF FLOWERS. 

When we consider the prodigious number of flowers produced in 
the spring, summer, and autumn, we cannot but be astonished ; and 
their variety is not less remarkable : to produce so great a number 
required the agency of a divine power, and to effect such a diversity 
demanded that power to be exercised w T ith a wisdom equally admi- 
rable. If they bore an exact resemblance to each other in their 
structure, form, dimension, and colours, we should be wearied with 
their uniform sameness ; if the summer produced no other plants and 
flowers than such as we had already enjoyed in the spring, we should 
soon be tired of viewing them, and we should neglect their culture. 

It may therefore be regarded as a proof of the divine goodness, 
that the productions of the vegetable kingdom are so pleasingly 
diversified, and that such a variety of new charms is continually 
added to their perfections. This diversity not only takes in the dif- 
ferent classes and genera of plants, but may be observed in each indi- 
vidual : thus, the genus of the carnation diners in appearance from 
that of the rose, the rose from the tulip, and the tulip from the auri- 
cula ; and each individual rose, tulip, or carnation, has its peculiar 
character displa)^ed in its structure, size, or beauty — we can scarcely 
select two flowers that are precisely similar in every respect, each one 
having peculiar beauties, though both are individuals of the same 
plant. 

If we examine a flower-bed, we shall find some of the flowers of 
an extraordinary height, towering above the rest ; others are of a 
middling size ; and some just raise their heads above the earth. 
Some have the richest and most brilliant colours ; others are more 
simple and plain : some perfume the air with the most exquisite 
fragrance ; whilst others only please by the beauty of their tints or 
the delicacy of their form. The variations in flowers are not less re- 
markable in the different seasons of the year : thus, in spring, when 
men leave the close confinement of towns to enjoy the charms of the 
country, the blossoms are seen in full bloom and beauty ; as summer 
advances thousands of flowers offer themselves to the admiring spec- 
tator, and one species succeeds another in a regular and defined order. 
When at length winter arrives, it brings with it other plants which, 
though they may not be so pleasing to the eye, are not the less useful. 
Among vegetables there is still more variety. What a diversity, 
and how many links are observed, between the weeds which grow 



200 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

among stones, and the blade of corn ! In plants whose nature it is 
to creep, what a difference between the ivy, which clings to the 
mouldering monuments of magnificence, and the succulent vine, 
whose grapes refresh us as fruit, and invigorate us as a beverage! 

Thus every thing is planted in wisdom and produced in perfection ; 
every where the useful blends with the agreeable, and the infinite 
goodness of God is manifested throughout the creation. 



JUNE VII. 

USE OF VENOMOUS ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 

Every production of the earth, considered separately, is good and 
wholesome : and if any thing is found to be noxious, it is because 
we do not make a proper use of it. Hence it is, that the food which 
preserves the life of one animal, occasions the death of another ; and 
the same plant which in certain circumstances is regarded as poison- 
ous, in others is highly useful and salutary. Hemlock, for example, 
was formerly considered a deadly poison ; but it is now employed in 
many cases as a medicine with considerable success, and without 
producing any bad consequences. The number and variety of vege- 
tables growing upon the earth is prodigious ; we must not, however, 
imagine they were all created for the use of man ; some are designed 
for beasts, some to exhale grateful odours, and others are useful in 
many of the diseases to which the animal economy is subjected. 

The same thing holds good with regard to many living creatures, 
which, though very dangerous to man, are useful to other animals, as 
affording food or medicaments. Many birds feed upon insects which 
are considered as noxious ; domestic fowls are fond of spiders ; pea- 
cocks and storks will feed upon serpents. Some of the most effica- 
cious medicines are composed of the most poisonous herbs. The 
number of plants and animals of a poisonous or venomous nature is 
very inconsiderable, compared with those which are evidently useful 
and beneficial ; and both men and animals have a natural repug- 
nance and aversion for every thing which is hurtful or prejudicial to 
their nature. Mischievous animals have- a certain dread of man, 
which prevents their attacking him unless they are excited to it by 
provocation or necessity ; and the most hurtful species of animals 
have generally some distinguishing characteristics by which their 
dangerous properties may be known and guarded against. The rat- 
tle-snake, the most dangerous of serpents, makes known his approach 
by the rattling noise of his tail. The crocodile is so clumsy in his 
motions, and turns round with so much difficulty, that it is easy to 
escape from him. Divine goodness, moreover, has so ordered, that 
the most dangerous and venomous animals furnish the antidote for 
their own poison : thus, the oil procured from a scorpion is an infalli- 
ble remedy against its sting ; a bee, bruised and rubbed on the part it 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 201 

has stung, assuages the pain ; and the fat of vipers is an excellent 
remedy for their bite. 

Perhaps it will be urged that it would be better if no plant or animal 
had been created with the power of injuring living creatures. Such 
a suggestion can arise only from ignorance ; for, if the Author of 
nature has formed creatures with the power of injuring one another, 
it is for the wisest purposes, and from such an arrangement many ad- 
vantages result. Several creatures which appear to be noxious, are 
only so in certain respects ; their poison, and the organs which enable 
them to inflict wounds, are absolutely necessary. One illustration of 
this will be sufficient for our present purpose ; the bee often causes 
very great pain by his sting, but deprive him of that, and he is use- 
less ; and so it is throughout the unlimited field of nature, that which 
appears to be noxious is indispensably useful. Why then has man 
the presumption to determine upon what is useful or prejudicial in 
nature] or who can assert that it is contrary to the wisdom of God 
that we should surfer pain ] Do not the most unpleasant things often 
procure us the greatest advantages? In general it will be found that 
natural things are only accidentally hurtful ; and if we ever receive 
any injury from them, we may almost always attribute it to our own 
imprudence and neglect. 



JUNE VIII. 

ODOUR OP FLOWERS. 

A profusion of beautiful objects every where surrounds us ; every 
thing that we see and hear, all the sensations of smell and taste, 
contribute to our delights and multiply our gratifications. All nature 
seems to combine in these happy days to fill our souls with rapture, 
and raise our hearts to the Deity, from whom flows every joy, and of 
whose goodness every flower is a consoling proof. 

At present, let us confine our attention to the pleasure we derive 
from the agreeable and varied fragrance of flowers. The goodness 
of God would have been amply displayed in the creation of flowers 
alone, which so much delight by their beautiful variety ; but he has 
done more, he has given to the fairest of nature's productions the 
most grateful fragrance. The scents of flowers are not less exquisite 
and various than their different shades of colouring ; and though it is 
not easy to determine in what this difference of odour consists, it is 
very perceptible upon passing from one flower to another. It may be 
also observed, that their smell is neither potent enough to affect the 
head, nor so weak as to prevent its pleasing influence. The particles 
which are continually exhaling from flowers are so light and subtile, 
that they are easily wafted to a great distance : the perfume which 
arises from a single grain of amber will scent a very large room ; and 

2A 



202 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

the smell of the rosemary growing in Provence is perceptible at sea at 
the distance of twenty miles. 

The cause of these exhalations so readily affecting the organs of 
smell must be attributed to the structure of the nose, which is com- 
posed of a cavity formed by bones and cartilages, and is separated 
into two cavities called nostrils, by a partition, the upper part of which 
is bony, the lower cartilaginous ; the superior part of this cavity com- 
municates with the mouth, and it is lined with a membrane upon 
which is a very fine expansion of nerves, proceeding from the brain 
through the os cribriforme or sieve-like bone, so called from its numerous 
perforations. The odours floating in the air are readily received into 
the nostrils, and impress the exauisitely sensible membrane with the 
sensation of smell. 

In this structure we maj" particularly remark the wisdom of the 
Creator displayed in the formation of the bony plates which terminate 
the upper part of the nose, and have a twofold use : they prevent in- 
jurious substances from entering the passages of respiration whilst we 
sleep, or are incapable of guarding against them ; and they receive 
the ramifications of the olfactory nerves, numerous branches and fila- 
ments of which are dispersed over these lamina, and thus receive the 
odoriferous particles which enter the nose along with the air. Let 
us then rejoice and be thankful for this most gracious gift of our hea- 
venly Father ; a gift which procures us the most delightful sensa- 
tions, and without which nature would lose half her charms. In our 
walks through the garden, whilst we are gratified with the fragrance 
of a thousand flowers, let us lift up our hearts in gratitude to that 
Being who has graciously bestowed upon us these sweet productions 
of nature. 



JUNE IX. 

MULTITUDE OP ANIMALS. 

Naturalists have calculated that the number of animals upon our 
globe amounts to about four hundred thousand species. It is sup- 
posed, that in the known parts of the earth there are more than four 
hundred and fifty species of land animals ; of birds, six hundred ; of 
fish with scales, two thousand ; of shell-fish, three thousand ; and of 
insects distinguishable by the naked eye, upwards of twenty thousand 
species ; besides those which belong to different kinds of animals, 
amounting to near one hundred thousand species. And there are 
immense tribes of insects entirely unknown to us, the number of 
which may be estimated at two hundred thousand. We must also 
take account of those which live upon plants ; and eighteen thousand 
varieties of plants having already been described, if we only allow 
each to contain four species of insects, the number of these will 
amount to seventy-two thousand. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 203 

This estimate of the number of animals living on our globe, will 
doubtless appear prodigious ; but if we believe with some naturalists 
that the whole kingdom of nature is every where animated, and filled 
with living beings, we shall not find it too great. Some physicians 
have maintained that the diseases which are accompanied with erup- 
tions and pustules, as well as some species of fever, are occasioned by 
little insects ; and it is probable that the atmosphere is sometimes 
peopled with insects, though their extreme minuteness renders it im- 
possible to detect their presence. If we examine any flower, as a rose 
or a daisy, we shall discover a multitude of insects, and the smallest 
portion of the earth teems with life ; animals are even contained in 
each other. The air, the juices of plants and animals, putrid sub- 
stances, excrementitious matter, smoke, dry wood, and even the hard- 
est stones, serve as habitations for living creatures. 

The sea also seems to be an element composed of animals. The 
light which is sometimes observed upon it in a summer night, is ow- 
ing to a multitude of small luminous worms, the particles of which, 
detached from the body and become putrid, float on the water, and 
continue to shine as when the animal was alive. Innumerable ani- 
malculae sport in the rays of the sun ; and all these little beings are 
infinitely diversified in their figure, organs, and motions. Such is the 
number and variety of the beings which inhabit this globe. Let us 
attempt to name all these animals, to enumerate only the individuals 
of a single species ; or endeavour to calculate the number of her- 
rings, flies, worms, birds, &c. and we shall find ourselves utterly 
unable to perform what it would be impossible to express by numbers. 

Here we have abundant cause to admire the infinite power of the 
Creator, who alone has produced all these creatures, and who still 
continues to support and to preserve them. Consider the food these 
various tribes of animals require ; if they only lived by destroying 
one another, nature would every where present scenes of cruelty and 
slaughter. But fortunately, the number of carnivorous animals is 
few, and these are useful in devouring the carcasses that, lying about 
and becoming putrid, would infect the air. The vegetable kingdom, 
however, is more properly designed for the nourishment of animals ; 
and almost every species has some particular kind of plant which it 
makes choice of: and that every species of animals may have food 
proportionate to their nature, they are distributed an different coun- 
tries of the earth. And how beautiful is the arrangement of nature ! 
One tree is larger than many thousand plants, and yet it occupies 
only the space of a few feet in the earth ; and many animals, birds, 
and insects, find in it their abode and nutriment. 

How merciful are the cares of Providence for animals, in surround- 
ing them with a fluid suited to their respective natures ! And will 
the atheist dare to say that there is no God ! Senseless man ! * Go 
and ask of the beasts, and they will teach thee ; of the fowls of the 
air, and they will tell thee : speak to the reptiles of the earth, and 
they will inform thee ; unto the fishes of the sea, and they will de- 
clare unto thee the ways of the everlasting God. Who knoweth not 



204 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

in all these that the handof the Lord hath wrought this ? In whose 
hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all man- 
kind.' 



JUNE X. 

IMMENSITY OF THE FIRMAMENT. 

Approach, O man ! and contemplate the firmament : regard those 
vast bodies which nightly illumine the heavens ; endeavour to count 
them, and thy sight will be confused, whilst thine eyes survey the 
infinite multitude of stars. Call to thy assistance the powers of the 
telescope, and millions of new worlds will present themselves to thy 
view. Continue thy observations, and attempt to number these lumi- 
naries ; thy ideas will be confounded, and thou wilt be convinced that 
no known numbers can express the multitude of all the stars which 
bespangle the firmament. 

It is true, that at a very early period men began to turn their atten- 
tion to the stars, and to ascertain their numbers ; but since the inven- 
tion of telescopes new discoveries have proved the imperfection of 
former calculations, and shown the difficulty, if not impossibility, of 
our gaining a certain knowledge of this important subject. To count 
the stars seems to be an enterprise as impracticable as that of number- 
ing the grains of sand on the sea-shore. 

The invention of telescopes has enabled us to obtain much more 
information than we otherwise could have done ; but the most exact 
observations made through their means tend to convince us that our 
powers are too limited to discover all the heavenly bodies. One of 
the most ancient astronomers enumerated only one thousand and 
twenty-six stars, and his catalogue was afterward increased to one 
thousand and eighty-eight. The number is now considerably aug- 
mented : by means of instruments, we learn that the long and lumi- 
nous tract seen in the heavens, and called the Milky Way, is composed 
of innumerable stars ; and we also know that where but a single star 
was formerly seen, by the assistance of a telescope we now discover 
many, and two constellations alone display more stars than were be- 
fore observed in the whole heavens. 

Such considerations as these enlarge our ideas of the universe. 
And if our admiration of the immensity of the divine power be in- 
creased by these discoveries, how much greater will it be, when we 
consider the magnitude of those stars, which, notwithstanding their 
prodigious distance, are perceptible by the naked eye. The most ex- 
act and indubitable calculations inform us, that a cannon-ball, shot 
off from the nearest fixed star, would fly seven hundred thousand years 
before it reached our globe.* 

* The distance from us to the nearest fixed star is computed at 32,000,000,000,000 
of miles, being farther than a cannon-ball would fly in seven millions of years. — Ed. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 205 

Some of these globes, being nearer to us, appear larger than the 
rest, and are on that account called stars of the first magnitude ; the 
next to these are called stars of the second magnitude, because being 
at a greater distance, their magnitude appears less. The next to them 
in lustre are of the third magnitude, and so on to the sixth, the 
smallest visible to the naked eye. 

Creator of heaven, and sovereign Ruler of worlds ! Father of 
angels and of men ! how my soul loves to stretch forth her pinions, 
and wing her imaginary flight beyond the confines of mortality, unto 
the regions of day ; where for a space forgetting the cares and vex- 
ations of an anxious existence, she contemplates with rapture Thee, 
the Author of light, and wishes that her faculties were vast as the 
extent of heaven, and unlimited as the regions of space, that she 
might comprehend Thy sublimity, and raise her thoughts from those 
innumerable worlds, the offspring of Thy power, unto Thee, the 
sanctuary of grace and the source of glory ! But whilst we are tra- 
velling through life's uncertain path, such desires cannot be realized ; 
we cannot comprehend Infinity ; and these aspirations of a noble and 
exalted soul are obliged to yield to our imperfect nature : but they 
strongly evince the soul's ethereal essence, and lead us to expect the 
joyful moment when, delivered from her present bondage, all her 
faculties will expand, and she will in one instant know what the 
united intellect of centuries could never discover. 



JUNE XL 

PECULIARITIES IN THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 

The difference between animals and vegetables is so great, that on 
a superficial view we do not perceive any resemblance between them. 
Some animals only live in water ; others on the earth, or in the air ; 
and some are amphibious, or capable of living either on land or in 
water. And this is literally the case with vegetables : some of them 
only grow upon land, others in the water ; some can scarce bear any 
moisture ; others either live in earth or w r ater ; and some even are 
found that exist in the air. There is a tree in the island of Japan, 
which, contrary to the nature of all other trees, to which moisture is 
necessary, cannot bear wet. As soon as it is watered it perishes ; the 
only way to preserve it in such a case, is to cut it off by the root, 
which is to be dried in the sun, and afterwards planted in a dry and 
sandy soil. A peculiar species of mushroom, some mosses, and other 
small plants, float in the air ; but what is still more extraordinary, a 
bunch of rosemary, which, as is the custom of some countries, was 
put in the hand of a corpse, sprouted out to the right and left so 
vigorously, that after a lapse of some years the grave being opened, 
the face of the defunct was overshaded with rosemary leaves. 

The vegetation of the truffle is still more singular : this extraordi- 

18 



206 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

nary tubercle has neither roots, stem, leaves, flowers, nor seeds ; it 
derives it nourishment through the pores of its bark. But it may be 
asked, how is it produced 1 Why is there commonly no kind of herb 
in the places where this species of mushroom grows 1 and why is the 
land there dry and full of crevices ? These things have never been 
explained. 

No plant so much resembles animals as that species of membra- 
neous moss called nostoch : it is an irregular substance of a pale 
green colour, and somewhat transparent ; it trembles upon the slight- 
est touch, and easily breaks. It can only be seen after rain, and is 
then found in many places, particularly in uncultivated soils and 
sandy roads. 

It exists in all seasons, even in winter ; but is never so abundant as 
after rain in summer. The most remarkable circumstance about it 
is its speedy growth, being formed almost instantaneously ; for some- 
times if we walk in the garden in summer, not a trace of it is seen ; 
when a sudden shower of rain falling, if the same place is visited in 
an hour, the walks are entirely covered with it. The nostoch was 
long supposed to have descended from the sky ; but it is now known 
to be a leaf, which attracts and imbibes water with great avidity. 
This leaf, to which no root appears to belong, is in its natural state 
when impregnated with water ; but a strong wind or great heat soon 
dissipating the water, the leaf contracts, and loses its colour and trans- 
parency : hence it appears to grow so suddenly, and to be so miracu- 
lously produced by a shower of rain ; for when the rain falls upon it 
in its dried and imperceptible state, it becomes reanimated, and ap- 
pears a fresh production. 

We might readily enlarge the list of plants which bear a resem- 
blance to animals ; but there are other peculiarities in vegetables 
which solicit our attention. The whole atmosphere is pregnant with 
plants and invisible seeds, and even the largest grains are dispersed 
by the wind over the earth ; and as soon as they are transported to 
the places proper for them to germinate in, they become plants, and 
often so little soil is necessary for this purpose, that we can scarcely 
conceive whence they derive the necessary degree of nourishment. 
There are plants, and even trees, which take root and grow in the 
©lefts of rocks without any soil whatever. 

Vegetation is sometimes very rapid ; of which we have instances 
in mushrooms, and the common cresses, the seed of which, if put into 
a wet cloth, will be fit for a salad in twenty-four hours. There are 
plants that exist with scarcely any perceptible vitality. We often see 
willows, which are not only hollow and decayed within, but their ex- 
ternal bark is so much injured that very little of it remains ; yet from 
these seemingly sapless trunks buds sprout in the spring, and they 
are crowned with leaves and branches. It is truly wonderful that 
plants should not only imbibe nutriment by their roots, but that their 
leaves also should assist in this important function, by inspiring air ; 
and an inverted tree will flourish, as well as when in its proper situa- 
tion, for the branches will grow in the earth and become roots. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 207 

| 

The advanced age that some trees attain to, is also very remark- 
able. Some apple trees are above a thousand years old ; and if we 
calculate the amount of the annual produce of such a tree for the 
above space of time, we shall find that a single pippin might supply 
all Europe with trees and fruit. So extensive is this subject, that to 
follow it through all its ramifications would lead us on much too far 
for our present limits. All nature teems with wonders ; every thing 
leads to an infinitely perfect Being, whose power, united to boundless 
wisdom and goodness, is continually acting for our benefit, and daily 
giving us fresh cause for gratitude and admiration. 

How great and magnificent are Thy works, Lord ! What win- 
ders crow T d upon my mind ! I view them with rapture, and am lost in 
the contemplation ; they surpass my comprehension ; I cannot fathom 
them. At thy command the grass shoots forth its green blade, and 
the woods are clothed with verdure ; the flow T ers adorn the fields and 
beautify the gardens with their glowing colours ; the tree lifts its tall 
head to the clouds, and the mountain cedar declares Thy glory ! 
Wherever I turn my view, new wonders delight me : the meadows, 
the mountains and the valleys, the rivers, the seas, and all, from the 
least atom to the distant spheres in the heavens, declare Thy goodness 
and display Thy glory ! 



JUNE XII. 

MEANS OF HAPPINESS DERIVED FROM NATURE. 

We have only to consider the bond and connexion existing between 
man and all natural productions to be convinced that eveiy thing 
throughout nature tends to his utility. For though there are many 
bodies whose use with respect to man we do not readily perceive, it is 
not reasonable to conclude that we derive no advantage from them. 
Many things, which in the days of our forefathers were considered as 
useless, are now regarded as benefits ; and we may justly presume 
that our posterity will discover many things to be useful, of whose 
nature we are now ignorant. In this we may acknowledge the Di- 
vine wisdom, which has concealed from us the true use of many 
creatures, that we may be more humble by feeling the limits of our 
knowledge, and that our faculties may be continually exercised and 
improved by contemplating the works of the creation. Many produc- 
tions of nature are only indirectly useful ; for as some animals serve 
for nourishment to man, consequently whatever tends to their support 
must be useful to us. We find that many creatures are conducive to 
the nourishment of others ; small fish are the food of larger ; many 
birds feed on worms and insects ; and there are many species w 7 hich 
live entirely by prey. Here again the divine wisdom is manifested ; 
for if the produce of the fields formed the sole nourishment of ani- 
mals, there would not be a sufficiency left for the support of man. 



208 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

There are some animals, as those of a venomous nature, which 
certainly are hurtful to man ; and there are some poisons so powerful 
as instantaneously to kill ; on which accounts, many creatures are 
regarded in a very disadvantageous light ; yet, if we consider them 
more attentively, we shall discover traces of the goodness of God, and 
have cause to admire his wisdom. Physicians make use of many ex- 
cellent remedies, in the composition of which are substances of a 
poisonous nature. And can we suppose that man would be more 
happy if there were no venomous animals upon the earth'? The 
poison that they bear is in part derived from malignant vapours, which 
man could not have respired without injury ; and, in short, we may 
say with confidence, that there is nothing upon earth really injurious 
to him, unless he makes an improper use of it. 

But if in the formation of the globe God had our happiness in 
view, are we not inexcusable in counteracting his gracious designs, 
by putting obstacles to our own felicity, instead of contributing to pro- 
mote it by our most earnest endeavours ? God's designs towards us 
are merciful, but we often render them ineffectual by a mode of con- 
duct which necessarily makes us unhappy. Let us henceforth be 
wiser, and b6„ter profit by those various means of happiness with 
which it has pleased a gracious God to supply us so abundantly in 
the kingdom of nature ; and as our desires are not completely satis- 
fied by any thing this world can afford, let us look up to Heaven, the 
source of all good, and we shall feel our minds enlarged by the influ- 
ence of a pure religion, which will teach us things of which we were 
before ignorant, and point out the true path to endless felicity ! 



JUNE XIII. 

THE MAGNET. 

Of all the bodies in the mineral kingdom the magnet, or loadstone, 
has the most striking properties. It is an iron ore of a dark gray co- 
lour, and has the property of attracting iron. This power of attraction 
resides chiefly in the two extremities of the magnet which are termed 
its poles ; and when it is free and suspended by a string, it constantly 
directs one pole to the north and the other to the south. This effect 
is invariably produced, however the stone may be moved, if it is at 
last left to itself. 

This constant and uniform direction of the magnet, which only 
varies in some particular parts of the globe, has given rise to that ex- 
tremity of it which points to the south being called the south pole, 
and the opposite extremity the north pole, of the loadstone. It com- 
municates to iron polarity, and the power of attracting steel. This 
discovery introduced the magnetic needle, so necessary to navigators ; 
hence we find that many things which at first seemed to be of no im- 
portance, may become highly useful to the world ; and the more we 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 209 

extend our knowledge of nature, and study the magnificence of the 
creation, the more will our intelligence be amplified, our understand- 
ing enlarged, and our means of felicity increased. 

These virtues of the magnet induced naturalists to examine it 
more closely, that they might be enabled to penetrate into the cause 
of such surprising effects, as well as discover new properties in the 
stone ; in which last endeavour they were more fortunate than in the 
former. They found that the magnet did not always, nor in all 
places, point alike to the north ; but that it inclines one while towards 
the east, and at another towards the west : they also remarked, that 
its attractive power acted as strongly when they interposed any other 
body between it and the iron. All metals, iron excepted, wood, 
glass, fire, water, and animal bodies, give a free passage to the mag- 
netic fluid, and do not prevent its acting upon iron. They discovered 
that the north pole of one magnet attracts the south pole of the other, 
and that the north pole of one repels the north pole of the other ; 
and the south poles applied together also repel each other. It was 
supposed that the attractive power resides in the iron as well as in 
the magnet, since the attraction seems to be mutual. To prove this, 
we have only to suspend a magnet at one end of the beam of a balance, 
and attach to the other extremity a weight equal to that of the 
magnet ; when the balance is made perfectly equal, place a piece of 
iron beneath it, and the magnet, attracted by the iron, will descend. 
The same thing will happen if the iron is attached to the beam, and 
the magnet be placed beneath. 

However singular these phenomena may appear, there is another 
circumstance respecting the magnet not less deserving our attention ; 
which is, that all the skill, the sagacity, and efforts, of philosophers, 
have not succeeded in discovering the cause of these astonishing 
effects : notwithstanding all their labours the magnet still continues 
to perplex the learned, and excite the desires of the curious to unra- 
vel its mysteries. If then in natural productions there are many 
things which the human intellect cannot comprehend or explain, how 
much more must there be in religion, which is elevated so far above 
all the objects of our senses 1 There are mysteries, the explanation 
of which we cannot obtain in this finite state of existence, and the 
perfect knowledge of which is reserved for a future world. And can 
it be surprising that there are things in religion beyond the reach of 
our understanding, when there are natural productions which daily 
attract our attention, whose properties defy the united powers of the 
learned to explain 1 There are, however, men who have the pre- 
sumption and the folly to doubt, and even to deny, all that they can- 
not understand of religion. If this was a just method of proceeding, 
it would be equally rational to doubt or to deny that the magnet 
attracts iron, or possesses polarity ; and to assert that all that is re- 
lated of it is false ; for we cannot explain or comprehend the cause of 
the effects it produces. 

When the existence of natural objects is disputed, we have only to 
sav unto the skeptic, Come and see : but the mysteries of religion 

: 18* SB 



210 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

are not so easily penetrated ; they are hidden from the foolishly wise, 
and are revealed unto babes ; they are seen only with a spiritual eye, 
and their perfect comprehension is reserved for a more pure and exalted 
state of existence. When we meet with difficulties, and things 
which we cannot comprehend, whether in the ample volume of nature 
or in the pages of religion, let us not be impatient, but bow with re- 
signation to the will of all-ruling Heaven ; remembering, that how- 
ever confined are our faculties and humble our intellectual attain- 
ments in this life, we are graciously favoured to hope and believe that 
a great portion of our felicity in a future world will be in that expan- 
sion of soul by which it will be enabled to know all that is now con- 
cealed from it, and approach in its nature nearer to its Almighty 
Creator. 



JUNE XIV. 

CHERRIES. 

The cherry is a fruit, which, by its sweetness, blended with a pleas- 
ing acidity, quenches the thirst, allays the heat of the blood in sum- 
mer, and prevents many disagreeable effects which a hot season 
might produce in our system. They quench the thirst, by their sharp- 
ness causing the salivary glands to contract, they cool the parched 
tongue, and moisten the dry palate. This mode of allaying thirst 
during hot weather is much preferable to drinking a large quantity of 
liquid, which distends the stomach, and tends to increase the heat and 
perspiration. Besides the cherries thus pleasantly appeasing our 
thirst, they possess a cooling property, which tempers the heat of the 
blood ; and thus prevents the debilitating effects of the nerves being 
continually stimulated. Thus the beneficial juice of cherries, by its 
acidity and astringent virtue, refreshes us during fervent heats, puri- 
fies the blood, and preserves the fluids from putrefaction. How mer- 
cifully has the Creator provided us with fruits adapted to each sea- 
son ! During the hot months we require cooling and acid fruits ; and 
we receive them in abundance, both salutary and agreeable, conduc- 
ing to our nourishment whilst they gratify our taste. We possess 
them so plentifully, that the poor can enjoy them as well as the rich : 
let us make this consoling reflection, whenever we see a cherry-tree 
laden with fruit. How sorrowful would be the fate of the labourer 
who gains his daily bread with the sweat of his brow, if he had no 
other means of cooling himself than the delicious beverages which 
the affluent alone can procure ! Merciful Father ! Thou art mindful 
of the indigent ; thou providest for his wants and condescendest to 
refresh him with fruits which thy kind Providence has placed within 
his reach ; and cherries are more wholesome and refreshing to the 
weary labourer than lemonade and the most sparkling wines to the 
rich. We have great cause to be thankful for the abundance of acid 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 211 

and cooling fruits this season affords ; gooseberries, currants, cucum- 
bers, stone-fruits, salads, &c. are so many agreeable preservatives of 
the health. 

Whenever we enjoy the sweets of cherries, let us consider them as 
blessings from heaven, and acknowledge the goodness of our Creator. 
The heavens, the earth, the elements, and every living creature con- 
tribute to our happiness ; wherever we turn our eyes they meet the 
blessings of our heavenly Father, which every where surround us. 
Animals, corn, vegetables, and fruit, in the valleys and upon the 
mountains, in the forests and in the seas, all serve for our pleasure 
and support. The all-beneficent hand of the Most High is continu- 
ally open to us, and his blessings are for ever showering down from 
Heaven. When we walk abroad in the fields or in the garden, when 
we enjoy the beauties and the blessings of nature, let us think of him, 
the Source of every delight and of every pleasure. 



JUNE XV. 

WISDOM DISPLAYED IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE BODIES OP 
ANIMALS. 

The formation of the animal body furnishes the most convincing 
proofs of divine wisdom ; for as some- animals are designed to live 
principally in the air, others upon the earth, and others in the water, 
it was requisite that their structure should be adapted to their parti- 
cular habitation, and conformable to their peculiar modes of life. 
And this we find they possess in a most admirable manner : they are 
each provided with that structure which is most appropriate to their 
nature ; so much so, that any other arrangement would have been 
inconvenient, if not prejudicial. 

Amongst birds, those which live upon prey are provided with 
strong talons and sharp-hooked beaks, that they may more readily 
seize and hold their prey. Those which are obliged to seek their 
nourishment in marshy places require a long slender bill, and long 
legs ; and those which live in water should have the lower parts of 
their bodies large, a long neck, membranes like webs connecting 
their elaws, enabling them to act as oars, and a kind of oil upon their 
feathers to render them smooth. 

Insects which live upon prey have a mouth formed like pincers or 
claws, and those which live by suction are provided with a sting or 
proboscis. The eyes of hares and rabbits are large and project a con- 
siderable way from the head, that they may easily discover and avoid 
the dangers and snares to which they are exposed ; and the eyes of 
the mole are small and sunk deep in the head, because being destined 
to live chiefly under ground, little light was requisite, and prominent 
eyes would have much impeded it in the operation of burrowing. 

The crystalline humour in the eyes offish is spherical, to remedy 



212 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

the inconvenience which would arise from the refraction of the rays 
of light in an aqueous medium ; while animals which live in the air 
have the crystalline lenticular, or plano-convex. Why have animals 
whose eyes are moveable only two, whilst those animals whose eyes 
are fixed have several 1 Why is the pupil of animals which seek 
their prey in the night large and brilliant 1 And why does the eye 
of the hen answer both the purpose of a telescope and microscope, 
if not to enable her to see the smallest seeds in the earth and among 
gravel, and that she may discover at a distance the birds of prey 
which threaten to seize her young ] 

How astonishing is that vast assemblage of organs by which ani- 
mals perform their different motions ! What a multitude of limbs ! 
What pliability and activity ! What numerous muscles, nerves, 
oones, and cartilages, every motion puts in action ! Some animals 
move slowly, others swiftly ; some have two feet, others more ; some 
have both wings and feet, others neither. The quickness or slow- 
ness with which each animal moves is regulated according to its ne- 
cessities. Those which are well armed, which have courage, force, 
and skill to defend themselves against their enemies, move more 
slowly than those which are destitute of these properties. Who has 
given to serpents and other reptiles the power of contracting and ex- 
tending their bodies, of coiling themselves into a circle, and of darting 
upon their prey ] Who has so constructed the fish that by means of 
their bladder they can at pleasure ascend or descend in the water 1 
Who has taught the snail to contract its body, and make water enter 
into its little habitation when it wishes to fall to the ground 1 

How skilful is the structure of birds, particularly their wings : and 
how well their body is adapted for flight ! small and sharp before, and 
gradually increasing till they have acquired their proper size, they 
readily cut the yielding air, and are less impeded in their passage 
through that element. The feathers are all arranged with much art, 
lying one upon another in regular order, by which they facilitate the 
motion of the body, and at the same time serve it for a covering and 
a defence against stormy weather and the severity of winter. Though 
close and strongly joined together, they are capable of extending and 
erecting themselves ; of swelling out and forming a larger volume, 
according as the necessities of the bird may require. The wings, 
which are the great instruments of flight, are placed in the most con- 
venient part for keeping the body exactly balanced in so subtile a fluid 
as the air. How admirable is the construction of each single feather ! 
The quill is stiff and hollow towards the lower extremity, which ren- 
ders it both light and strong. The beard of feathers is arranged with 
regularity, broad on one side and narrow on the other ; which is par- 
ticularly useful in the progressive motion of birds, as well as in the 
strong and close texture of the wings. The feathers are also placed 
in the most exact proportion, so that each accords with the length and 
strength of those next to it ; and the larger support the smaller. Im 
the bony parts of the wings there are numerous joints which opem 
and shut, or move as necessity requires, whether to extend the wings 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS 213 

Or bring them closer to the body. The pectoral muscles are formed 
with much strength, to enable the bird to pass through the air with 
greater rapidity. The tail is so admirably constructed that it serves 
as a helm to direct the flight, and assist the bird in rising and descend- 
ing in the air, whilst it keeps the body and wings in a steady position. 
The legs and feet are equally appropriate to their different motions ; 
in some birds the claws are large, and provided with membranes 
which extend and contract to enable them to swim; in others the 
claws are sharp, and crooked at the points, that they may tread more 
firmly, perch, seize, and hold their prey ; in some the legs are long, 
that they may walk in the water, and rake up their food from wet and 
marshy places. 

In all this we must see and acknowledge the supreme intelligence 
of our Creator and merciful Benefactor. Is it possible that things so 
wonderful, regular, and admirably proportioned, can be the effect of 
chance ! Or can any one be so weak as to imagine it was without 
design that all this series of vessels, of muscles, of joints, &c. &c. in 
each animal, were put in motion ; and that every part, even the most 
minute, should bear so strict a relation to others, and all fulfil their 
different functions with such perfect harmony and regularity ^ It 
ought rather to excite in our minds the idea of some great First Cause 
of all, which is the Creator of the heavens and the earth ; whose 
wisdom and goodness has formed all these creatures, and given them 
that structure which is best adapted to their nature and situation. Let 
the presence of these objects then lead us to glorify and adore the Al- 
mighty ; let us seek for that living wisdom which will teach us more 
and more of his ways, that we may become better and more inti- 
mately acquainted with that Being who has so gloriously manifested 
himself throughout the creation. 



JUNE XVI. 

DEW. 

The wise Governor of nature, who continually watches over his 
children, and provides for all their wants, makes use of various means 
to render the earth fertile. Sometimes he effects this by inundations, 
which, though they may lay waste the fields, and excite the murmurs 
of those short-sighted men who only consider present evils, produce 
in the end the most beneficial consequences to the country in general. 
Sometimes they proceed from a vast river, which, like the Nile, at 
stated periods issues from its bed, to water a country and refresh the 
parched fields, where showers never fall ; and at other times they are 
caused by heavy rains, which descend more or less frequently to cool 
the air, to moderate the heats of summer, and to irrigate the dry 
earth. But these means are neither sufficiently constant nor abun- 
dant ; the most usual, certain, and universal, but that which perhaps 



214 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

is the least valued and regarded, is the dew. This blessed gift of 
heaven, which even in years of the greatest drought preserves and 
supports vegetation, consists in those pure and brilliant drops that 
every morning and evening are seen collected in considerable quanti- 
ties upon the leaves of trees and plants. 

Dew does not descend from above, from regions more elevated than 
our atmosphere, as was formerly imagined ; neither is it an exhalation 
from the heavenly bodies, as some have supposed. This pretended 
celestial origin occasioned that absurd notion of alchymists, which 
induced them to expect the formation of gold from the drops of dew. 
At present it is generally understood that dew is nothing more than a 
vapour, which during the warmth of day exhales from the earth and 
vegetable productions, and, condensed by the coldness of the night, 
falls in drops. To be convinced of this, we have merely to cover a 
plant with a bell-glass, and we shall observe a greater quantity of 
moisture collected upon its leaves than upon those which are exposed 
to the open air. This certainly could not happen if the dew descend- 
ed from above, or if it did not arise from the earth. Nothing is more 
easy than to account for its formation ; for no one can be ignorant that 
the rays of the sun, and the heat diffused over the surface of the 
earth, continually cause to exhale from different bodies a multitude of 
subtile particles, some of which ascend into the atmosphere, and others 
collect in the form of aqueous drops. This explanation of dew accounts 
for its being sometimes prejudicial, and at others not so ; its nature 
considerably depends upon the properties of the vapours of which it 
is composed. The wind carries off the very subtile exhalations as 
soon as they are extricated, and thus prevents their forming in drops ; 
hence it happens that the dew is most abundant when the air is 
calm. 

By this wise provision of nature, plants are enabled to grow and 
increase in countries where it never rains ; for the soil in those coun- 
tries being sandy, porous, and very moist beneath, by means of heat, 
a copious supply of dew is effected, which surrounds the plants, and 
affords them nutriment. These different means which Divine Provi- 
dence uses to moisten and fertilize the earth should recall to our 
minds those which he uses to ameliorate the hearts of men, and ren- 
der them productive of good works. Chastisements more or less se- 
vere, blessings of every kind, exhortations and warnings, by the 
mouths of his prophets and ministers, with the examples of our fel- 
low-creatures, and a thousand other means, are employed by a gra- 
cious God to draw us into his holy communion, to sanctify us, and 
render us capable of bringing forth the fruits of piety and of virtue. 
Sometimes a storm gathers, the sluices of heaven are opened, the 
rivers burst their banks, and the country far round is desolated with 
the wide sweeping inundation ; at other times, God calls forth from 
the earth the sweet dew, and thus listens in secret to the prayers 
which the husbandman had uttered for rain. So also he operates in 
different ways for the salvation of man. To some hardened hearts 
he speaks in thunder and lightning as formerly from the top of Sinai ; 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 215 

others he calls unto him, in a voice milder than the evening zephyr, 
and sweeter than the breath of morning : he awakens their slumber- 
ing faculties, and fresheneth their souls with the beneficent dew of 
his grace. 

Let this gracious mercy of God raise in us ardent desires to imitate 
his heavenly goodness ; let us use all our exertions to reclaim the 
wicked from their evil ways, and direct the steps of those who have 
strayed into the true path. But let us ever remember the merciful 
kindness of God, and after his example endeavour to recall the mis- 
taken deluded children of iniquity, by mild persuasion and brotherly 
entreaties. We see how he refreshes the parched earth by his dew, 
and gives new life to vegetation. Let us then think upon the num- 
ber of our fellow-creatures bowed down by affliction, and languish- 
ing for Avant of assistance ; and let not their sighs pierce our ears in 
vain, neither let us turn away from then complaints, nor refuse the 
tear of sympathy to their misery when we are unable to relieve all 
their necessities. Let us by our kindness diffuse the cheering rays of 
consolation into the hearts of those that mourn, and pour blessings 
upon our fellow-creatures, abundant as the morning dew. 



JUNE XVII. 

MODE OF LIFE AND LABOURS OF THE BEES. 

In these gay and joyful days of summer, every thing in the animal 
kingdom is in motion, all is full of life and activity ; but no creatures 
are so active for our advantage as the little republic of bees. Of all 
the insects with which we are acquainted, none are more worthy of 
our observation, or present us with a more agreeable and profitable 
spectacle, 

. Bees generally dwell in great numbers in hollow trees and cavities, 
or in a kind of basket called a hive, which men have formed to collect 
them together. They fly abroad, and disperse themselves over the 
country, and by means of their trunks or probosces extract honey and 
wax from the juices and stamina of flowers. This they bring to their 
dwelling, which they fill with hexagonal cells, in some of which they 
reside ; others are destined to receive the eggs and hold their young, 
and others form the magazines where they deposit the honey which 
is to support, them during the winter. 

Amongst all these bees, which together form one large family, 
there is one greater than the rest, of the female sex, and on that 
account called the queen. To her alone all the young of one hive 
owe their existence ; from the eggs which she has deposited in the 
cells little grubs are produced, which the working bees feed for some 
time with their trunks. These grubs remain in their cells, which are 
clothed with a covering of wax, for fifteen days, in a state of perfect 
repose ; in this quiescent form they are called nymphse. When the 



216 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

proper time is arrived, they open their cells, and come forth in the 
shape of young bees. Besides the queen, there are two other species 
of bees in each hive ; the labouring bee and the drone. These latter, 
are males and impregnate the queen, as well as serve her for a guard. 
Bees have fixed in their heads two antennae or horns, which defend 
their eyes and warn them of danger ; they have fangs or claws, which 
they use in their labours, and a trunk or hollow tube, that they can 
project from, or draw into its sheath at pleasure. This instrument, 
flexible and moveable in every direction, forces itself to the bottom of 
the cup of flowers, where it collects the honey, which passes through 
the tube into a little bag placed within their bodies, whence the 
honey is afterward poured out into the cells. 

Bees have six feet ; with the two first and their fangs they form 
the wax, which was the farina of flowers, into little balls, and with 
their middle feet place them in a hollow which they have in their 
hinder feet, which are furnished with hairs that retain the wax, and 
prevent it falling off while they fly. Thus, laden with honey and 
wax, the working bees return to their hives without missing their 
way, though they sometimes fly the distance of several miles. When 
arrived at home, they meet other bees waiting to assist them to dis- 
charge their burden, and then they all unite together to employ the 
provisions to the best advantage for the hive in general. With the 
wax they close up the crevices of their dwellings, to prevent any ani- 
mal intruding ; and they leave only such openings as are necessary 
for their own convenience. The queen and working bees have at the 
extremity of their bodies a sting enclosed in a sheath, which they 
use to wound and destroy their enemies; but when the sting re- 
mains in the wound which they make, it is generally fatal to them- 
selves . 

Every thing in these little animals is wonderful, and highly deserv- 
ing of our attention. The structure of their limbs, so regular, and 
well adapted to their mode of life ; the care which they take of their 
young ; the art with which they construct their cells ; and their acti- 
vity, industry, and intelligence ; all excite our admiration, and be- 
speak the agency of a superior power. Thus, if we wish to meditate 
upon our Creator, contemplating a hive of bees will lead us to him, 
and call forth our adoration of that power, wisdom, and goodness, so 
eminently displayed in the production and operations of these little 
creatures. 



JUNE XVIII. 

EXTERNAL PARTS OF PLANTS. 

In order to form a just idea of the inimitable art displayed in the 
vegetable kingdom, we must proceed by degrees. Our faculties are 
too limited to take in the whole at one view, or to acquire a perfect 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 217 

knowledge of it in this state of existence. We must, therefore, con- 
tent ourselves with a few observations, and proceed from visible to in- 
visible things ; from simple and individual objects to those which are 
more complicated and general. Let us begin then with the external 
parts of plants, and first examine the roots. These are so constructed, 
that by means of the principal root, and the little fibres that proceed 
from it, the plants are fixed in the earth. The pores of the root 
enable it to imbibe the aqueous and nutritious juices which the soil 
contains. From the root grows the stem, to which the plant owes its 
strength and beauty : its structure differs according to the nature of 
the plant ; sometimes it is the form of a tube, strengthened by differ- 
ent knots which are skilfully arranged ; and in other plants the stem 
is so slender, that it requires a support round which it may twine and 
fasten itself by little hooks which proceed from it. In others the stem 
rises majestically like a pillar, and becomes the ornament of the 
forests, seeming to defy the winds and the tempests. The branches 
extend themselves like arms, and are regularly distributed ; they en- 
large themselves, and divide into others which are collaterally dis- 
posed in the same order with the principal branches. The buds which 
sprout from them are small plants, which if inserted in the earth, 
will take root, and in time grow up like the tree from which they 
were taken. 

The leaves, those lovely, beautiful ornaments of plants, are regu- 
larly disposed round the stalks and branches ; and among thousands 
we can scarcely find two that exactly resemble each other ; each 
one differing in structure, figure, size, and beauty. Leaves are either 
simple or compound, hairy or fleshy, smooth or curled and indented. 
The blossoms of trees, which form one of nature's chiefest beauties, 
are not less diversified than the leaves : some are simple, and have 
only one flower; others have several. They present every variety 
of shape and appearance : some of the petals are disposed carelessly 
round the plant ; others form circles, garlands, and clusters. From 
the centre of the flowers rises a little pillar, and sometimes several, 
which are hollow within, and round or pointed at the top : these are 
called pistils, and they are generally surrounded by lesser pillars called 
stamina, which support the anthers, containing a very fine powder, 
which is the farina or pollen. Many of the blossoms have a texture 
of an indescribable delicacy, with a most exquisite fragrance, and 
beautiful diversity of tints. 

To the blossoms succeed fruit and seeds, which repair the waste of 
the seasons, and afford a very agreeable source of nourishment ; they 
enclose under one or more skins or coats the germs of future plants. 
The external form of seeds and fruits varies as much as that of leaves 
and flowers. 

All these parts of plants have their peculiar use and design ; if the 
least of them be taken away, the plant loses a part of its perfection ; 
either its beauty, growth, or increase, will suffer. Thus, all these 
several parts are essentially necessary for the completion of the whole. 
If a tree is stripped of its leaves, it will soon become dry, decay, and 
19 2C 



218 STURM'S REFLECTIONS 

wither. The same thing will happen with all other plants ; they 
possess nothing superfluous, nothing that is not useful, or that does not 
tend to the perfection of the whole. 

When we view this beautiful connexion, harmony, and arrange- 
ment, throughout the vegetable kingdom, and see that the whole is 
regulated by general laws, though differently applied, must we not 
immediately and without hesitation acknowledge, that the Author of 
all these beauties is a being of a superior nature, enjoying a supreme 
power and wisdom 1 This will be the necessary conclusion of every 
one capable of thinking, and justly weighing causes and effects. 
Let us then raise our souls towards our heavenly Creator, who is every 
where visible in his works, and whose wisdom shines in the smallest 
blade of grass. He who accustoms himself to reflections of this nature 
will be more sensible of the pleasures of summer, and feel more life 
and joy from the beauteous objects it presents to his view. The 
more we contemplate the works of nature, the more shall we admire 
the wisdom of God ; and the more we reverence his wisdom, the 
greater will be the pleasure we shall derive from the contemplation 
of natural objects. 



JUNE XIX. 

HYMN OF THANKSGIVING FOR THE WORKS OF NATURE. 

To thee, O Lord, from whom all blessings proceed, and who dis- 
pensest them with a liberal hand, to thee belong glory, honour, and 
thanksgiving. Thou hearest the cries of the young raven, and de- 
lightest in the song of the lark ; be pleased to hearken also unto my 
voice, and receive the praises of a grateful heart. The least of thy 
creatures proclaims thy wisdom, and the traces of thy goodness and 
power beheld, from one end of the year to the other, are continually 
renewing. 

With the tenderness of a father thou providest for the wants of all 
thy creatures, and givest them their proper food. The returning sun, 
as he daily illumes the eastern horizon, witnesses the endless succes- 
sion of thy benefits, showered down in profusion upon all created na- 
ture. O God, who is like unto thee ! 

Teach me, O Lord, how to praise thee with acceptance, and incline 
my heart to love thee, that henceforth I may only live for Him who 
loadeth me with blessings. 

It is in thy name, and in the hope of thy blessing, that the hus- 
bandman commits his grain to the furrow. It is thou who formest 
the seed, and enduest it with fertility. The earth, which once was 
cursed by the sins of mankind, blessed again by its Creator, now 
brings forth an abundance of fruits. 

Thou causest the fertilizing rains to descend upon the furrows Oi 
the field : thou clothest the meadows, the valleys, and the plains, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 219 

with flowers, herbs, and groves : and thou directest the cool and re- 
freshing dew to revive our gardens and fields, and to shed upon them 
fertility and abundance. 

The dry and parched land thou waterest with beneficent rains ; the 
wet and cold places thou warmest with the cheering rays of the sun : 
thou orderest the seasons and the weather with wisdom, and disposest 
them in the manner most beneficial to mankind ; and amidst every 
vicissitude of heat and cold, of rains and drought, we still see grow, 
flourish, and ripen, the food which thy goodness has destined for us. 

Thou coverest our fields with rich harvests, and the wings of the 
wind make the yellow ears undulate ; thou beautifiest the summit of 
the dry rock with the clustering grape ; thou biddest the clover spring 
up in our pastures, and at thy desire the fountains and the rivulets 
refresh the thirsty animals. 

Thou causest the tree to take root, and makest it flourish ; a vivi- 
fying sap circulates through the trunk and branches, and gives them 
strength to push forth leaves and blossoms ; and the fruit, which bends 
down the branches, shows how much thou delightest in doing good. 

Let us then ascribe all glory and praise to our Creator and Bene- 
factor ; let us bless and celebrate his name in songs of joy, and at- 
tune his mercy in hymns of gratitude : for great is the eternal God, 
holy and wonderful are all his works ; he is all pure and good, and 
the righteous for ever shall sing his praises. 



JUNE XX. 

CATERPILLARS. 

Caterpillars form a very beautiful part of the creation ; though 
from generally living upon our trees, they are disliked by the cultiva- 
tors of gardens, and are seldom considered as objects of attention ; 
many people indeed only notice them for their destruction. But if 
we investigate their nature, and observe them minutely, perhaps we 
shall find cause to admire them ; and our curiosity being awakened 
by their appearance, we may be less disposed to trample under our 
feet an insect whose structure is so wonderful, and which will tead 
the properly reflecting mind to consider the Creator of all living 
things. 

The species of this insect already known are more than three hun- 
dred, and new ones are daily discovered, all differing in colour, form, 
propensities, and modes of life ; but they have in common the annu- 
lar structure, or the being composed of several rings, which, elonga- 
ting and contracting, facilitate the moving of the body from one part 
to another. They have two kinds of feet, each of which has its 
particular use. The six fore feet form a sort of hooks, with which 
they cling to, or lay hold of, objects ; the termination of the hinder 
feet is broad, and armed with small pointed nails. With the hooks 



220 STURM'S REFLECTIONS, 

they draw up the leaves, grass, and other nourishment ; and by these 
fix the fore part of the body till they have drawn up the hinder part. 
The hinder feet they use to hold themselves fast, and to grasp what- 
ever they rest upon. When upon a twig or a leaf they can seize 
another at a considerable distance ; for, hooking their hinder feet upon 
whatever they rest, they elevate the fore part of the body, standing 
almost erect, move in all directions, poise themselves in the air, and 
turn round, reach their food, and hold it with their hooks. However 
well the body of the caterpillar is adapted to its necessities, its state is 
very transitory ; its limbs last only a short time ; and this creeping 
worm soon becomes a chrysalis without feet and without motion, till 
it becomes a winged inhabitant of the air. 

From this circumstance only, caterpillars should claim some share 
of our attention. Towards the end of summer, and frequently sooner, 
after being satiated with verdure, and having changed their skins more 
than once, they cease to eat, and begin to construct -a habitation, 
where they leave the caterpillar state, and are transformed into butter- 
flies; this place of shelter is called the chrysalis, and is of an oval 
form ; towards the extremity are rings, which continue diminishing 
till they are lost in a point. The chrysalis is full of milky fluid, which 
supplies the infant butterfly with nourishment till it comes out. When 
it is completely formed, and its parts have acquired a proper degree of 
consistence, and a gentle warmth invites it forth from its prison, it 
forces a passage through the largest end, which is at the same time 
the thinnest part of the chrysalis. Its head, which was always di- 
rected towards this end, disengages itself, the antennae project and 
lengthen, the feet and wings extend, and the insect flies away, retain- 
ing nothing of its former shape : the caterpillar which was changed 
into a chrysalis, and the chrysalis which became a butterfly, being 
quite different creatures. The one is rough, hairy, and sometimes of 
a disagreeable aspect ; the other is decked in the most beautiful co- 
lours : the one is doomed to crawl upon the earth, while the other 
lightly skims from flower to flower, and delicately sips their nectare- 
ous sweets. 

Perhaps this description will conquer the aversion that some people 
have to these insects, and reconcile them with their existence ; but 
perhaps there will yet be many who will ask for what purpose insects, 
which devour the leaves and occasion the trees to be blighted, were 
created ? To such I answer that they are necessary links in the great 
chain of animal life ; and without them the world would be less per- 
fect than it is. Destroy them entirely, and you would deprive the 
birds of a most plentiful source of nourishment ; and surely, if birds 
are destined to feed upon caterpillars, whatever be our loss, we cannot 
with justice exclude these insects from feeding upon leaves. And 
even if we cannot comprehend the reason why God formed such 
creatures, surely we ought not to assert that they are useless ; we 
should rather acknowledge our ignorance, and bow before him who is 
all-wise. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 221 

JUNE XXI. 

BEGINNING OF SUMMER. 

On this day summer begins. Many of us have often seen the 
changes which constantly take place at this season of the year ; but 
have we considered why the sun continues so long above the horizon, 
why this is the longest day in the year, and why, from this time till 
the end of autumn, we perceive the heat and the length of the days 
diminish in the same proportion 1 All these changes proceed from 
the annual revolution of our globe round the sun. When this star 
enters the tropic of Cancer, the earth is so situated, that the whole of 
its north pole is turned towards the sun ; for the earth's axis is inclin- 
ed towards the north, and it invariably preserves this direction. On 
this inclination, and the parallelism of the earth's axis, the vicissi- 
tudes of the seasons depend. And who, that considers the conse- 
quences which would ensue if the direction of the axis had been 
perpendicular, will withhold his admiration and gratitude for that 
superior wisdom which has thus regulated it for the advantage of 
man 1 

Nature has now nearly finished her annual labour in our climate. 
She has already lost part of her variety ; and though nothing can be 
more beautifully ^reen than the vines, the orchard, and the forests, 
the shades begin to be less pleasing ; the meadows whiten, and the 
flowers are cut down ; the corn gradually grows yellow, and the rich 
colouring of nature diminishes. The diversity and brightness of this, 
and the varied notes of numerous birds, had lately all the charms of 
novelty, and cheered us with their sweet variation : but now, as au- 
tumn approaches, these enjoyments cease ; the nightingale is silent, 
and walking is inconvenient from the excessive heat. 

From this picture we may form an emblem of life, the pleasures 
of which are equally fugitive ; even the most innocent, such as na- 
ture offers us during the spring, fade, and give place to other objects; 
and what we now witness in the summer of nature, we may observe 
in the summer of life. 

As we advance in years, the pleasures which delight us in our 
youth no longer affect us ; and when we have attained the autumn 
of our days, we become subject to cares and anxieties to which we 
formerly were strangers ; as our age increases, our bodily powers 
diminish ; till at length, after many a weary day, the period arrives 
when, feeble and exhausted, we have no longer a pleasure in exist- 
ence. 

With what a lively sense of joy may the good man lift up his soul 
to thee, O Lord ! who directest the seasons, who art the Father of all 
things, and the source of all happiness ! Let us acknowledge thy 
wisdom .and thy goodness in causing the seasons to succeed each 
other in a regular order ; and may we never forget thee when we 
enjoy the blessings which summer scatters over the earth, and expe- 



22^ STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

rience the pleasures which smile in her train ! Let us reflect that this 
may be the last summer which we may be permitted to see on earth ; 
and consider how soon we may be called to join the numerous friends 
who have been removed from this transitory scene since the last sum- 
mer's sun beamed light and beauty upon our sphere. 



JUNE XXII. 

THE NIGHTINGALE. 

The nightingale is one of the sweetest songsters among the inha- 
bitants of the groves. When all the birds that cheered us during 
the day with their varied notes cease to be heard, the song of the 
nightingale swells upon the air, and animates the groves. When we 
rapturously listen to her voice, pouring melody in the woodlands, we 
are ready to conclude that the bird from which such sounds proceed 
must be large, and possess a throat of uncommon strength ; and her 
sweet accents make us presume that, as she excels in harmony, so 
she surpasses the feathered race in beauty.* But we shall look in 
vain for these perfections in the nightingale ; which is a bird of rather 
a mean appearance, having nothing particularly attractive either in 
form or plumage ; yet it is gifted by nature with a voice that fills us 
with ecstacy, and pours rapture through all our frame. How exqui- 
site is our delight when we listen to her long quivering notes, and 
hear her sweet variations, now gently warbling, then gradually swell- 
ing into inconceivable force and rapidity ; alternating plaintive ac- 
cents that sooth the soul to melancholy, with gay airs that raise it 
upon lightsome wings to joy and pleasure : she rapidly passes from 
the simplest notes to the wildest carols, from the lightest turns and 
quavers to slow melting.strains that languish upon the breeze, then 
softly die away, and leave the night-wanderer silently to retrace his 
homeward steps. 

This bird may give rise to many useful reflections ; from it we may 
learn a very wholesome truth, that plainness of person does not ex- 
clude beauty of soul, but may be allied to the most estimable quali- 
ties. How absurdly and erroneously do those people judge, who, 
fascinated by a regular contour of face, beautiful countenance, and 
elegant proportion of limb, only bestow their approbation upon what 
pleases their senses, and despise or disregard such as labour under 
bodily infirmities, or are not gifted by nature with the graces of per- 

* As to the idea of connecting beauty with melody in a bird, unless the author means 
that the bird which utters strains like those of the nightingale cannot be otherwise than 
beautiful, I believe it is not always the case ; for those birds which have the most beau- 
tiful and brilliant plumage have often the most harsh and unpleasing notes ; witness 
parrots, parroquets, peacocks, and a variety of others ; and so far from our imagining 
the bird that enchants us with melodious strains to be large in size, we know of scarcely 
any large bird which has very sweet notes : if so, whence is the association of greatness 
of bulk and melody of voice ! — E. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 223 

son. Let us learn to judge with more equity, and to discriminate 
with mpre attention ; for it is not alone symmetry of limb, elegance 
of form, or advantages of fortune and rank, that ennoble a man, and 
render him worthy of esteem ; it is the superior perfection of his 
soul, and the finer feelings of his heart, which can alone exalt his 
nature, and place one man higher than another in the great chain of 
beings. Those who are incapable of virtue, and destitute of reason, 
will necessarily be deluded by the false colouring of external appear- 
ance, and, unable to penetrate beneath the surface, will be dazzled 
by the empty parade of riches, and misled by the ostentatious display 
of splendid insignificance. But have we not seen men on whose 
humble birth fortune never smiled, nor honours distinguished, raise 
unto themselves eternal monuments of fame and glory ] And have 
we not known men, whose bodies were formed in nature's coarsest 
mould, show a magnanimity of soul and a greatness of mind that 
will ever endear them to our bosoms and entwine them round our 
hearts 1 Let us then not easily trust an opinion hastily formed, and 
founded only upon external appearance ; for often those whom we 
have presumed to despise are superior to ourselves, and deserving of 
our warmest admiration and regard. 

When we listen to the sound of the nightingale, let us remember 
who gave it such pleasing powers ; and let us consider the wisdom 
of a structure which enables it to produce such sweet sounds. A 
viscus so delicate as the lungs of this little bird, whose exertions are 
so violent, would be very liable to receive injuries, if it did not possess 
the singular advantage of being attached to the vertebrae of the back 
by a number of little fibres. The opening of the windpipe is very 
wide, and this very probably contributes to its great diversity of notes. 

Sweet songster ! I will not leave thee till I have learned of thee to 
celebrate our mutual Creator ; and may thou pour, with thy wild 
warbling strains, joy and gratitude into the hearts of all who in these 
lovely evenings are revelling in the sweets of summer unconscious of 
their Maker ! 



JUNE XXIII. 

THE PLEASURES WHICH SUMMER OFFERS TO OUR SENSES. 

Summer has inexpressible charms, and daily gives us proofs of the 
infinite beneficence of God. It is the happy season in which he most 
abundantly pours forth his blessings upon every living creature. Na- 
ture, after having refreshed us with the pleasures of spring, is conti- 
nually at work during the summer, to procure us every thing that can 
gratify the senses, make our subsistence comfortable, relieve our ne- 
cessities, and awake in our hearts sentiments of gratitude. 

We see all around us, in the fields and in the gardens, fruits, which, 
after having delighted us with their beauty and gratified our taste 



224 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

with their sweets, may be collected and preserved for our future con- 
venience. The flowers present us with the most agreeable variety ; 
we admire their rich colours, and rejoice at the inexhaustible fecun- 
dity of nature, in their multiplied species. What a beautiful variety 
is displayed in plants, from the lowly sprig of moss to the majestic 
oak'? Our eye glances from flower to flower ; and whether we climb 
the steep mountain, descend into the valley, or seek the friendly 
shade of the woods, we every where find new beauties, all differing 
from one another, but each possessing charms sufficient to engage our 
attention. There we see innumerable flowers diffusing their sweet- 
ness to the air, that softly kisses their blushing leaves ; and here va- 
rious creatures sporting wild, free from care. We look up, and a clear 
blue sky presents itself ; beneath the fresh verdure smiles : our ear is 
ravished with the tuneful notes of the winged songsters ; their various 
and simple melody wraps our souls in joy, and sweet sensations fill 
our bosoms. The soft murmuring of the distant brook, and the sil- 
ver waves of a clear smooth stream gently gliding beneath the over- 
hanging willows, lull our souls to ease, and nought but love and 
pleasure dwells in our unruffled breast. 

Thirsty and fatigued, the modest strawberry offers us sweet refresh- 
ment ; the gardens and fields fill our granaries with their fruits, and 
supply us with the most agreeable sustenance. The smell is grati- 
fied with the fragrance that every where perfumes the air ; and thou- 
sands of charming objects delight our senses, and call forth our sen- 
sibility. Numerous flocks and herds feed upon the bountiful profu- 
sion of nature, and furnish us with milk and nourishing aliment. 
Abundant showers fall to refresh the earth, and open to us new 
sources of blessings ; smiling groves and tufted trees kindly shelter 
us from the sun's fervid beams ; and every thing around us increases 
our pleasures and adds to our felicity. If the senses derive gratifica- 
tion from these luxuriant scenes, the mind is not less delighted. It 
discovers beauty, harmony, variety ; and in every object traces the 
all-creating hand, the spring of life, and the source of all good. Yes, 
admirable Being ! we see thee in every creature : if we contemplate 
the Heavens, the Sun, the Moon, and each Star inform us that thou 
hast made them ; all that we perceive through the medium of our 
senses leads us to thee, and thus our sensations become dignified and 
exalted, whilst our thoughts soar upward, and are lost in thy infi- 
nitude. 



JUNE XXIV. 

SKETCH OF THE INTERNAL PARTS OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

The more difficult it is to acquire a proper knowledge of the inter- 
nal parts of the human body, the more necessary it is to profit by the 
labours of skilful anatomists. With the view of facilitating the know- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 225 

ledge of those parts, I shall here present the reader with a short de- 
scription of them. The structure of the heart, the great spring of life 
and motion, first merits our attention. This viscus, situated in the 
chest, is composed of muscular fibres, curiously interwoven ; two ca- 
vities, called ventricles, separated from each other by a partition, form 
the interior of this organ. Contiguous to the heart, within the chest, 
are the lungs, which alternately open and shut, when they receive or 
expel the air, something after the manner of a pair of bellows ; they 
nearly fill the whole cavity of the chest, which is lined with a very 
fine membrane called the pleura. 

The abdomen is separated from the chest by a muscle called dia- 
phragm, and contains several viscera, the most important of which is 
the stomach, a membranous bag, which receives and digests the 
food. To the right of the stomach is the liver, which secretes bile 
from the blood, a part of which is received into a little bag attached 
to the liver, and called the gall-bladder ; it is conveyed from thence 
into the intestines, and stimulates them to action. On the opposite 
side, and near the stomach, is situated the spleen, a spongy viscus of 
an oval figure, the use of which is not rightly understood. Beneath 
the liver on one side, and the spleen on the other, are the kidneys, 
which secrete from the blood an aqueous fluid, afterward conveyed 
to the bladder by two excretory ducts called ureters. In the lower 
parts of the abdomen are situated the intestines, a long membranous 
tube divided into small and large. In the small part, the alimentary 
matter which has passed through the stomach is converted into chyle, 
and the portion that remains unfit for nourishment is expelled by the 
lower and larger division of the tube. The intestines are connected 
with the mesentery, a membranous duplicature, which contains nu- 
merous fine vessels, called the lacteals, as they contain the chyle or 
milky fluid separated from the food. There are also numerous glands 
in this organ, called mesenteric glands ; the lacteals enter these, and 
from thence proceed to the thoracic duct, or the tube which conveys 
the chyle into the blood. The whole internal surface of the abdomen 
is lined with a membrane calied peritoneum, which covers all the 
viscera ; and a fatty production of which, called omentum, lies on 
the superior surface of the intestines. 

These are the principal viscera in the abdomen and chest ; but there 
are several others connected with them. At the beginning of the 
neck is the oesophagus and the trachea. The oesophagus is the tube 
through which the food passes from the mouth into the stomach, and 
the trachea is the tube through which the air passes into the lungs ; 
a small valve at its superior orifice, whilst it admits the passage of air, 
prevents that of any other fluid or substance, which, by its irritation 
in the lungs and air vessels, would be the occasion of fatal conse- 
quences. There is a valve also placed in that orifice of the stomach 
which enters the intestines ; it opens to suffer the food to pass, but 
prevents its returning. 

Within the cranium or skull is situated the brain, enveloped in a 
very fine membrane full of blood-vessels, and called pia mater ; a 

2D 



226 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

second membrane, much thicker and stronger, adheres to the internal 
surface of the cranium ; and between these is a third membrane, so 
very delicate and transparent, as to be scarcely perceptible. Besides 
these parts, each of which has a determinate place, there are others 
which are dispersed over the whole body, such as bones, arteries, 
veins, lymphatic vessels, muscles, and nerves. The bones are united 
together by joints, and serve to support the body, to render it capable 
of motion, and to preserve and protect the softer parts. Veins and 
arteries circulate the life-sustaining blood throughout the body. The 
nerves, of which ten principal pair are enumerated, are small white 
cords ; they proceed from the brain, are distributed to every part of 
the body, and are the organs of sensation and motion. The whole 
body is full of pores, so small as to be imperceptible to the naked 
eye ; and through these is continually exuding a subtile matter called 
the insensible perspiration. No less wisdom is manifested in the fluid 
than in the solid parts of the body. The blood, chyle, lymph, bile, 
marrow, and the different kinds of viscous and glutinous humours se- 
creted by various glands ; their different properties, their destination, 
effects, and the manner in which they are separated and prepared ; 
their circulation and renovation ; all bespeak the most astonishing 
art and the profoundest wisdom. 

Let us now recapitulate all the excellencies of our structure. The 
bones, by their solidity and their joints, form the foundation of this 
beautiful superstructure ; the ligaments are tendinous cords, which 
unite different parts together ; the muscles are fleshy substances, 
which perform their functions like elastic springs ; the nerves, which 
extend to the most distant parts of the body, communicate the power 
of sensation, and enable the different organs to perform their func- 
tions ; whilst the arteries and veins, like inexhaustible rivulets, pour 
the life streams to every part. The centre of circulation is the heart, 
from and to which all the blood proceeds ; and respiration is perform- 
ed by means of the lungs. The stomach and intestines are the 
organs where the food undergoes those changes which are necessary 
for the support of life. The brain is the common centre from which 
the nerves proceed to communicate sensation to the body, and enable 
the senses to receive the impressions which they convey to the soul. 

Adorable Creator ! how wonderfully hast thou formed us ! Though 
the heavens, which so magnificently display thy glory, were not to 
exist, though I was the only being upon the face of the earth, the ad- 
mirable structure of my body alone would suffice to assure me of the 
immensity of thy power, and convince me of thy immeasurable wis- 
dom ! Let us, then, as often as we meditate upon this wonderful or- 
ganization of our bodies, praise Him who has so formed us, and offer 
up our thanksgiving for his manifest goodness. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 227 

JUNE XXV. 

ELECTRICITY. 

From the numerous experiments which have been made upon the 
subject of electricity, no one can doubt the existence of a mattei 
which, from, its singular effects, has excited the attention of Europe 
for more than half a century. It appears that this fluid is equally 
diffused through all bodies, but is so extremely subtile that we can- 
not perceive it, and we only know it to be present from the effects it 
produces : when put in motion it rushes from one part to another to 
restore the interrupted equilibrium. It is necessary to distinguish two 
kinds of electric bodies ; those in which the electric fluid may be ex- 
cited by means of friction, and those which receive their electric 
power by communication with the former. The principal substances 
which compose the first class are glass, pitch, resin, sealing-wax, hair, 
silks, and air ; to the second class belong water, metals, &c. Bodies 
of the first kind may be made capable of preserving the electric mat- 
ter collected in them, whilst those of the second class lose it as soon 
as they receive it.* Machines have been invented, in which, by 
means of a wheel, a rapid rotation is given to a <flass globe, or cylin- 
der, upon which is placed a cushion of silk, against which, whilst 
whirling round, it rubs. By this friction the globe preserves its elec- 
tric virtue, which may be extended to any distance by means of me- 
tallic bars, or chains which communicate with the glass. If, while 
the machine is working, we touch the chain, we immediately receive 
a shock ; aud, if the room is darkened, a luminous spark will be per- 
ceived. Let any number of persons join hands and form a circle, 
and by means of the chain make a communication with the machine ; 
and they will all receive a shock at the same time, which may be 
made more or less violent. The electric fluid may be accumulated 
to such a degree as to kill by its discharge the largest animals. 

This experiment is performed with several glass jars nearly filled 
with water, and which, connected together by chains, communicate 
with the glass globe before described. The water communicates to 
the internal surface of the jars a great quantity of electric matter, 
their external surface at the same time losing an equal quantity by 
means of its communication with some conducting body. A vivid 
flash, loud explosion, and a violent agitation, ignition of combustible 
matter, and the death of the subject of the experiment, are the con- 
sequences of this experiment. 

* Those substances mentioned in the first class, 10 which may be added diamonds, 
balsamic and bituminous bodies, as. amber, sulphur, &c. the coverings of animals, as 
feathers, wool, bristles, silk, vitrified bodies, and all substances that, when rubbed, at- 
tract light bodies, are called electrics or non-conductors. Those on the contrary in 
which, when friction is employed, the electric fluid is not excited or put in motion, are 
called conductors or non-electrics ; and they consist chiefly of metals, minerals, aqueous 
and spirituous liquids, living creatures, and animal and vegetable substances, as trees, 
plants, bones, shells, &c. 



228 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

There are other effects which are common to all experiments of 
this kind ; such as a sulphureous smell, an agitation in the air, a 
sudden flash, and the electric matter acquiring a new property. Some 
experiments have failed because the metallic rods which swerved as 
conductors were too angular and pointed. It has been suspected that 
the electric fluid in such cases was dissipated by means of the points ; 
and this was confirmed when, on approaching the face or hand to the 
point of the rod, a copious stream of electric fluid emanated from 
them ; it was also conjectured, that these points, which throw off the 
electric fluid, might attract it, and a number of experiments have 
since established it as a truth. 

Electricity has been applied by physicians in many complaints with 
great success ; and a still greater advantage which we derive from 
its investigation is the analogy which naturalists have discovered be- 
tween electricity and lightning, which has given rise to new conjec- 
tures upon the nature of thunder ; and has taught us to secure our 
buildings, by means of metallic rods, from the destruction they often 
suffer during a storm. 

Thus we are continually receiving new solutions of the mysteries 
contained in the great works of nature ; and from the success of 
these investigations we should be excited to more industry, and to 
pay greater attention to the works of the creation daily offered to our 
viewv 



JUNE XXVI. 

MANNER IN WHICH THUNDER IS FORMED. 

Formerly, and even to the beginning of the eighteenth century, it 
was commonly supposed that thunder was occasioned by the agita- 
tion of saline, sulphureous, and other substances contained in the air. 
It was imagined that there was the greatest resemblance between the 
effect of fire-arms and that of thunder and lightning. But all the 
means by which men endeavoured to explain and establish this sys- 
tem were not sufficient to do away the difficulties that presented them- 
selves, nor to account for the fact. Since that period, however, the 
phenomena produced by the electric fluid have been more attentively 
observed, and a very different cause has been assigned to the forma- 
tion of thunder. The great resemblance between it and electricity 
has convinced naturalists that they are produced by the same causes, 
and that electricity is in our hands what thunder is in nature. It 
will not be difficult to demonstrate this, even to those who are igno- 
rant of natural philosophy, if they will only take the trouble to com- 
pare the effects of thunder with those of electricity. 

The effects of thunder are known by peals heard at a greater or 
less distance, and by flashes of fire ; buildings struck by it are often 
consumed by flames ; men exposed to it become black, and appear 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 229 

scorched, though there is sometimes no trace of fire, the violence of 
the stroke having killed them : their clothes are torn, they are thrown 
to some distance from the place in which they were, and frequently 
the part of the body which was struck is pierced with holes. Some- 
times large stones are broken by the thunder, and its ravages are 
easily discoverable on the ground where it strikes. 

Electricity presents us with similar effects, but in a less degree. 
When by means of water its force is increased, the electric flash is 
followed by a very evident commotion : the most compact bodies are 
perforated, birds and other small animals are deprived of life, and each 
flash is succeeded by a report. The stream of fire also, which passes 
from the points of electrified bodies with a hissing noise, is one of the 
phenomena observable in lightning ; and with respect to velocity, 
there is still greater resemblance between thunder and electricity. If 
during a storm a sword or chain is suspended in the air by silken 
strings, they become electrified ; and if the finger is advanced near 
them, sparks proceed from them with more or less force and brilliancy, 
according to the violence of the storm, and tae distance of the elec- 
tric cloud ; in short, every effect of electricity is produced during a 
thunder-storm. From all these circumstancss, we can no longer 
doubt that the air during a storm is highly electric, and that thunder 
and lightning are merely the effects of a violeni electric fire.* 

Thus all that appears supernatural in these phenomena, and the 
terror that they consequently excite, will be don^ away as we become 
better acquainted with the laws of nature. This should induce every 
one to acquire at least the first principles of natural philosophy. We 
should then no longer see fear and superstition ene:vate the mind, and 
paralyze our exertions in the investigation of nature. Let us employ 
the little light we have to dispel the fear which troubles us at the 
approach of a thunder-storm ; and, amid the lightning's flash and 
the roaring of the tempests, we shall regard with a tranquil bosom 
the God of all, who ' rides in the whirlwind and directs the storm.' 
For however we may be able to assign the causes of thunder upon 
just and invariable principles, drawn from natural philosophy, the 
phenomena are not less remarkable, and present some circumstances 
which are inexplicable, even to the most enlightened mind, ltis suf- 
ficient for us to know that the nature of the air, and the peculiar pro- 
perties of the surrounding atmosphere, render this phenomenon 
necessary : that these storms are essential to the fertility of the earth, 
and should therefore excite us to render our tribute of praise and 
thanksgiving to the all-bountiful Creator. 



passing into other bodies, and thus interrupting the equilibrium, and producing concus- 
sions in the air, or that noise which we call thunder ; and the reason that lightning is 
seen before the thunder is heard, is that light travels with a velocity inconceivably greater 
than sound. — E. 



230 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

JUNE XXVII. 

HERRINGS. 

In this season of the year the herring-fishery begins on the coasts 
of England and Scotland ; by which we shall soon receive a great 
abundance of fish, which supply the inhabitants with food during a 
considerable part of the year. Let us examine what is most import- 
ant in the natural history of these fish. 

An innumerable multitude of herrings live in the Icy sea, near the 
arctic pole ; at a certain time they quit this abode, and arrive in 
shoals upon the coasts of England and Holland. The cause of this 
emigration is not yet ascertained : some suppose it is to escape from 
the whale, and other great fish of the Icy sea ; others imagine that 
the prodigious multiplication of herrings is the cause of their taking 
these long voyages; that finding themselves too numerous under the 
northern ice, they are obliged to detach colonies to other places, that 
they may have a sufficiency of food for their support. Perhaps it is 
the desire of propagating their species, and a particular instinct, which 
leads them to places more favourable for their increase and preser- 
vation. 

Whatever cause influences their motions, it is certain that immense 
shoals of herrings proceed from the north in the beginning of the 
year ; for as early as the month of March the western wing of this 
aquatic army reaches the coasts of Iceland ; they are there so ex- 
tremely numerous, that upon plunging the bucket, with which they 
water the sails of the vessel, into the sea, they draw up great num- 
bers of these fish. The eastern wing advances farther into the Bal- 
tic sea ; one part of it stretches towards the North Cape, descends to 
the coast of Norway, and then enters the Baltic through the Sound. 
Another division steers for the northern point of Jutland ; and after- 
wards enters into the Zuyder-zee, and passes thence into the Baltic, to 
return to its former station. The most numerous detachment of the 
eastern wing proceeds to the western coasts, and arrives at the Ork- 
ney islands, where the Dutch go to catch them. About the eighth 
of June the sea is there filled with them ; they afterwards shape then- 
course towards England and the coasts of Scotland, and fill all the 
bays and harbours with their fry. They then disappear, and those 
which have escaped the nets of the fishermen, and the numerous 
large fish which prey upon them, most probably return northward to 
the place from whence they emigrated. 

A single herring deposits at least ten thousand eggs in the sea upon 
the British coast, and this great fruitfulness of a single fish, among 
so many millions, makes what is reported of the Dutch fishery credi- 
ble ; they are said to take annually about two hundred millions of 
herrings, by which a great number of people are supported, and more 
than twenty millions of crowns added to the Dutch revenue. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 231 

JUNE XXVIII. 

ECLIPSES OF THE SUN AND MOON. 

In this enlightened age, it is highly indecorous for any one to be 
ignorant of the phenomena of an eclipse. From a want of this 
knowledge have proceeded the superstitious fears which so often agi- 
tate the minds of the ignorant during an eclipse of the sun or moon ; 
while, if the cause was understood, the folly of shutting up wells at 
such a time, for fear the water should acquire a noxious quality, and 
the absurdity of using other precautions, would be manifest : what- 
ever men do under the influence of superstition is a strong proof of 
their ignorance and impiety. Let us, then, inquire into the true cause 
of such astonishing effects ; our thirst for knowledge will be gratified, 
and we shall find fresh occasion to glorify our great Creator. 

An eclipse of the sun is a natural effect caused by the shadow of 
the moon projected on the earth. But this can only take place when 
the moon, which is an opaque body, is nearly in a direct line between 
the sun and the earth ; in this case the moon, either partially or en- 
tirely, intercepts our view of the sun ; the one is called a total, the 
other a partial, eclipse. Thus the solar eclipse is nothing more than 
the situation in which the earth is placed when the shadow of the 
moon falls upon it, and consequently, properly speaking, it is only an 
eclipse of that part of the earth where the moon's shadow falls. 

Hence we learn that the sun is not really darkened, but is only for 
a short space concealed from us by the intervention of another body, 
whilst he still blazes in all his splendour ; and the only change that 
takes place is, that the rays emanating from him cannot reach the 
earth, because the moon intercepts their progress. Hence also a solar 
eclipse is never visible at the same time from every part of the earth : 
for the eclipse could not be perceptible from all places in the hemi- 
sphere at the same time, unless the sun had effectively lost all his 
light ; on the contrary, it appears greater in some countries than in 
others ; and there are countries where it is not visible at all. 

The moon not only at times darkens the earth, but the earth also 
casts its shadow upon the moon, and thus partially or totally inter- 
cepts the rays of the sun, by which an eclipse of the moon is occa- 
sioned. This can only happen when the moon is on one side of the 
earth and the sun on the opposite side, consequently, at the time 
when the moon is at the full ; and as this planet is really obscured 
by the earth's shadow, the eclipse may be perceived at the same time 
from every part of one hemisphere of our globe. 

Should it be asked, Of what use are the lunar and solar eclipses 1 
I would answer, to those who do not measure the utility of natural 
things merely by their sensible benefits, they are of very great use. 
By their means we determine the true position and distance of towns 
and countries, and trace with exactness maps of the most remote re- 
gions ; they also tend to confirm chronology, and direct the naviga- 



232 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

tor, by informing him how far he is distant from the east or from the 
west. Unimportant as these advantages may appear to some, they 
are of the greatest utility, and contribute in part to the happiness of 
mankind. 

Whenever we witness an eclipse of the sun or moon, let us reflect 
upon the awful events which will take place on the last day. What 
terror will seize the hearts of men when they shall see the sun dark- 
ened, and the moon lose her light; when the elements shall melt with 
fervent heat, and the heavens pass away with fearful sound, as of the 
rushing of mighty waters ! May we then be found fit to dwell in 
that glorious habitation, where the sun and the moon shall no longer 
be necessary ! 



JUNE XXIX. 

THE STALK OF WHEAT. 

We see the young corn daily springing up, and the tender ears 
ripening insensibly, till in a few weeks they will afford us nourishing 
bread, a blessing which the bountiful hand of Nature has bestowed 
upon the labours of man. Let us for a while cast our eyes over a field 
of wheat, and endeavour to enumerate the millions of ears which 
wave over the surface ; and then let us reflect upon the wisdom of 
those laws which cause such abundance to bless the earth. What 
preparations are necessary to procure us nourishment so useful and 
sweet ; and what changes must take place before the ear could be 
formed ! It is now nearly ready to reward our care with its nourish- 
ing fruits, and invites us to meditate upon its structure. 

When a grain of wheat has been some time in the ground it shoots 
up a stalk, which rises perpendicularly, but advances very gradually, 
to favour the ripening of the grain. By its growing so high the 
grain is preserved from the moisture of the earth, which would rot it ; 
and the height of the stalk also contributes to perfect the juices that 
ascend from the root : and its round form favours this operation, by 
admitting the heat to penetrate every part of the stem. It seems 
wonderful that so delicate a stalk should support itself, and bear so 
many grains, without sinking beneath its burden, or being beat down 
by each blast of wind ; but nature has wisely provided against all 
these inconveniencies in furnishing it with four very strong knots, 
which strengthen it without lessening its pliability. The structure of 
the knots evinces much wisdom ; like a-^ae sieve, they are full of 
very small pores, through which the sap rises and the heat penetrates. 
The stalk is liable to be beat down by tempests and heavy showers, 
but its suppleness secures it from injury ; it is flexible enough to bend 
without breaking ; if it was more stiff it might be shivered by the 
storm, and would be unfit for straw. 

From the principal stalk others spring up ; they are not so high, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 233 

and bear leaves, which, collecting the drops of dew and rain, supply 
the plant with those nutritious juices so necessary to its support ; 
whilst the most essential part of the plant, the ear, is very gradually 
formed. To preserve the tender sprouts from the dangers and acci- 
dents which might destroy them, the first moment of their appear- 
ance, the two upper leaves of the stalk unite closely, to preserve the 
ears, as well as furnish them with the necessary juices. As soon as 
the stalk is sufficiently formed to be able of itself to supply the grain 
with juices, the leaves gradually dry, that nothing may be taken from 
the fruit, and that the root may have nothing to support which is 
useless. When these leaves are removed, the young ear waves grace- 
fully in unveiled beauty, and its beard serves it both as an ornament, 
and as a defence against birds and insects. Refreshed with gentle 
rains, it riourishes, and inspires the husbandman with the most pleas- 
ing hopes ; it ripens from day to day, till at length, bowing beneath 
the weight of its riches, its head falls beneath the sickle, and the 
farmer joyfully gathers the golden sheaves. 

Here we discover new marks of the wisdom and all-beneficent 
power of God, ever operating for the good of man. How wonderful 
is the structure of a single stalk of wheat ! and what greater proof 
can we desire of the goodness of our Creator ] Open your eyes, ye 
that are indifferent, and see the fields wide waving round with the 
choicest gifts of heaven, and you will no longer withhold the tribute 
of praise and of gratitude to your all-bountiful Father ; remember- 
ing, that he who can view a field of corn without his soul expanding 
with gratitude, or who does not feel rejoiced at the sight, is unworthy 
of the bread it so abundantly furnishes. Let us think as men en- 
dowed with minds capable of that most exquisite of all pleasures, the 
discovering the traces of an infinitely good and powerful Being in all 
the works of nature ; by this we shall raise ourselves above the con- 
dition of brutes, and approach nearer to the angels of light. 



JUNE XXX. 

THE BLIGHT. 

Prodigious swarms of little insects, entirely covering the tops, 
stalks, and leaves of plants, occasion what is usually called the blight. 
These insects are as numerous in their varieties as the species of 
plants they infest, and they merit our attention most particularly from 
the peculiarities which they exhibit. They not only lay eggs, but 
they also bring forth their young alive ; being both oviparous and 
viviparous. Whilst the fine weather continues, the young ones issue 
from the parent insect alive, and completely formed, because at that 
time the plants can afford them sufficient nutriment : but towards the 
end of autumn they lay eggs, which are not hatched till the following 

20* 2E 



234 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

spring- ; for if they came to life sooner, they would perish for want of 
nourishment. 

At the time when the female insects begin to. lay their eggs, the 
males are observed to appear, which seem to indicate that their exist- 
ence was not necessary before that period ; and this conjecture is con- 
firmed by the experiments which have been made upon these insects. 
If we take one at the instant of its birth, and enclose it by itself 
within a glass, though secluded from all communication with other 
insects, it will produce a young one as soon as it has acquired a cer- 
tain degree of growth, and in a few weeks it will be surrounded by a 
numerous family. If the experiment be repeated upon one of its 
young, the result will yet be the same, though continued for many 
generations ; which proves that these creatures engender of them- 
selves without copulation. 

Another singularity worthy of observation is, that in some species 
of insects the males have wings, whilst the females are destitute of 
them: but in the class of which we now treating, both sexes are 
alike in that respect ; being either both furnished with wings, or both 
destitute of them. Those which have wings are so extremely small, 
that they are seen walking upon those that have none. This remark- 
able instance of the singularities of nature, so widely differing from 
the common rules, and where at the same time so much wisdom is 
observable, leads us naturally to ask, Whence these peculiarities in 
nature proceed, and why has the Creator thought fit sometimes to 
deviate from the accustomed laws ] To answer these questions in a 
satisfactory manner we ought to be able at once to embrace the whole 
of the creation, to comprehend all the parts of the vast kingdom of 
nature, with all their uniting links, and justly to appreciate in what 
and how far any thing would be advantageous or prejudicial to the 
whole. But from the limited nature of our faculties, such an exten- 
sive range of knowledge is denied us, and we must be satisfied with 
some general reasoning which may in some degree resolve our doubts, 
and answer the question to our satisfaction. 

In the first place, by these singularities in the productions of nature, 
we see the command which God has over her : He is the supreme 
Governor, who assigns to each being the laws which he is to observe ; 
and he who has the power to make has also the right to suspend 
laws, and to make whatever exceptions he pleases. Secondly, we 
every where find in nature a great variety of objects which give us 
occasion to rejoice in their contemplation, and to admire the glory of 
the Creator. It is easy to perceive how much these exceptions to 
general rules increase the variety we observe, and consequently the 
pleasure of the observer, as well as his admiration for the Author of 
nature. In the third place, experience teaches us that the objects 
which we daily see become familiar, and the often-repeated impression 
renders us less attentive to their beauties. The magnificent spectacle 
of nature does not always interest us, because we acquire the habit 
of lightly passing over those things which we continually witness. 
Thus, each singularity, each unusual appearance, by arresting our 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 235 

attention, tends to invite us to contemplate, as well as to call forth 
our admiration of, the works of God. And lastly, we may consider 
the singularities of the physical world, so far from diminishing the 
perfection of the whole, enter into the plan of the Divine Wisdom, 
and together with the singularities of the moral world, are under the 
direction of an all-wise Being, who governs all for endless glory, per- 
fection, and happiness. 



JULY I. 

FOREIGN PLANTS. 

All our different sorts of corn, and many of our vegetables, derive 
their origin from foreign countries, generally those of a higher tem- 
perature than ours. The greatest part of them came from Italy ; 
Italy obtained them from Greece ; and Greece from the East. When 
America was discovered, many plants and flowers were found that till 
then were unknown, and have since been transplanted to Europe, 
where they have been cultivated with great success : and the Eng- 
lish still take great pains to cultivate in their own country many dif- 
ferent plants from North America. 

Most of the different species of corn, which form the best kind of 
nutriment for men and animals, are graminous ; and though they are 
now completely naturalized to our soil, and the fields are covered with 
them, they are of foreign growth. Rye and wheat are indigenous in 
Little Tartary and Siberia, where they still grow without culture. 
From what country barley and oats were first introduced we are igno- 
rant ; but we may be assured the3 T are not natives of this climate, or 
it would not be necessary to cultivate them. Rice is the produce of 
Ethiopia, whence it was carried into the East, and afterward to Italy. 
Since the commencement of the eighteenth century, it has been cul- 
tivated in America, and we now import from that country great quan- 
tities of this useful grain. Buckwheat originally came from Asia; 
it was introduced into Italy at the time of the crusades, from whence 
it was brought to Germany. 

Most of our pulse and herbs have also a foreign origin. Borage 
comes from Syria ; cresses from Crete ; the cauliflower from C} r prus ; 
and asparagus from Asia. We are indebted to Italy for the chervil ; 
to Portugal and Spain for the dill-seed ; to the Canary Islands for 
fennel ; and to Egypt for aniseed and parsley. Garlic is a produc- 
tion of the East ; shallots come from Siberia, and the horse-radish 
from China. We are indebted to the East Indies for kidney beans ; 
to Astracan for pompions ; to France for lentils ; and to Brazil for 
potatoes. The Spaniards brought the tobacco plant from Cuba, 
where the finest species of tobacco is found. 

Some of our most beautiful flowers are also the produce of foreign 
countries. Jessamine comes from the East Indies ; the elder-tree 



236 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

from Persia ; the tuiip from Cappadocia ; the narcissus or daffodil from 
Italy ; the lily from Syria ; the tuberose from Java and Ceylon ; the 
pink from Italy ; and the aster from China. 

Let us regard these gifts of Nature with joy and gratitude, and 
thank our Heavenly Father for the abundance of his bounty, in thus 
contributing to our pleasure and well-being, by making the remotest 
regions of the earth tributary to our necessities. Let us also endea- 
vour to become acquainted with the nature of the globe which we 
inhabit. There is an universal transmigration over all the earth ; 
men, animals, and vegetables are transplanted from one country to 
another : and may we all, wherever our lot may be cast, endeavour 
to do our duty as men, and so live that our names shall be revered by 
the just and the good whilst living, and when happily transplanted 
to that country where our toils shall end, and our troubles cease, our 
memory shall be blessed, and our departure be lamented, by thou- 
sands who have tasted of the sweets of our converse, and received 
the benefits of our exertions for the general good of mankind 



JULY II. 

TRANSFORMATION OF CATERPILLARS. 

The transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly is a very curious 
phenomenon, and highly deserving our attention. The manner in 
which caterpillars prepare for their change is truly wonderful : they 
do not immediately become butterflies, but pass first through a sort of 
middle state. After shedding its coat three or four times, the cater- 
pillar strips itself of its last skin, and becomes a substance not in the 
least resembling a living creature. It is then enveloped in a hard 
shell called chrysalis or nympha, in which state it remains two or three 
weeks, sometimes even for six or ten months, until at length it comes 
out in the form of a butterfly. 

There are two kinds of butterflies ; the wings of one are raised, 
those of the other are flat ; the first species fly during the day, the 
latter by night. The caterpillar of the night-butterfly spins a cone, 
and shuts itself up in it when the time of its transformation approaches. 
Those which, when become butterflies, fly during the day, suspend 
themselves in the open air on a tree, a plant, a wall, &c. In order to 
do this, they spin themselves a very small web, with an extremely 
fine thread, and then suspend themselves in such a manner that their 
heads are a little bent back towards the top. Some of these cater- 
pillars, particularly those of the hairy species, remain in this state, 
hanging perpendicularly with their heads downward ; others spin a 
thread, which passes round the middle of their body, and which is 
fastened at both sides. In one or other of these ways all caterpillars 
of the day-butterfly prepare for the great revolution they are about to 
undergo. Thus both species of caterpillars bury themselves alive, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 237 

and 6eem quietly to await the termination of their caterpillar state, 
as if they knew that after a short repose they would receive a new 
existence, and appear again under a more brilliant form. 

From considering the transformation of the caterpillar into the but- 
terfly, we may proceed to the consideration of a much more noble and 
exalted subject, the death and resurrection of the righteous. Death 
resembles a state of sleep, a soft repose, in which our nature rests 
after the toils, the pains, and the miseries of this life. For the space 
of a moment we are deprived of sensibility and motion, that we may 
awaken to glory and a happy existence. 

What is a caterpillar ? A creeping worm, insignificant and despis- 
ed, which, whilst it crawls along through life, is exposed to various 
accidents and injuries. And what is man ] Is his condition in this 
world much better ] Is he affluent and fortunate, he flutters gayly 
in the beams of prosperity, and often equally insignificant with the 
butterfly, struts his hour, and passes into airy nothing, unlamented 
and unregarded. But these, compared with the children of penury 
and misfortune, are few : the greater part of men have to pass from 
their cradle to their grave through toil, misery, and poverty ; most 
men have to labour from morn till night like beasts of burden, with- 
out the power or the hope of enlarging their minds, and, expanding 
their ideas beyond the confined atmosphere of their workshop ; or the 
ale-house, where they herd together to solace themselves with smoke, 
and beer after the fatigues of the day. 

As the caterpillar prepares with care for its transformation, and the 
state of inaction and insensibility which it is shortly to undergo ; so 
in a different way, but not less earnestly, does the good man prepare 
for, and expect with a cheerful acquiescence and fond hope, that aw- 
ful change when he is to undergo a temporary death, to enter into a 
joyful state of perfection and immortality. 

The sleep of the caterpillar is not perpetual, it is merely the pre- 
cursor of a new state of existence : after its transformation it appears 
again more perfect and brilliant : before, it crept upon the earth ; it 
now flies in the air, and lightly skims over the surface of a thousand 
flowers, sipping honey and nectareous dew. 

In all this we may observe a lively emblem of the death and resur- 
rection of a righteous man. That body which was feeble, sensual, 
and gross, refined from its earthly nature, puts on a glorious immortal- 
ity, and is clothed with perfection ; that mind which was so limited 
in its faculties and confined in its powers, subject to passions and emo- 
tions that degraded its heavenly essence, so contracted and weak that 
it could not penetrate mists of prejudice, and so blind that it could 
not perceive truth, now, pure as light, and boundless as infinity, views 
the whole extent of nature, and sees at once millions of worlds ; 
communes with angels, and expands to the infinite God, the source 
of all power, wisdom, and glory. We have here an important lesson : 
if this be the glorious change we expect, let us make timely and 
effectual preparation for it. If our present state be but transitory and 
imperfect, let us not make it our chief object : let not the few mo- 



238 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

ments which are allotted us for our preparation for eternity be mis- 
pent, or the reason why we have them mistaken. 



JULY III. 

THE SILK-WORM. 

The genus of caterpillars, which we have just seen, is divided into 
two general classes, one of which comprehends the diurnal, the other 
the nocturnal butterflies ; is farther divided into different families, 
each of which has its distinct characteristics and properties. 

Thus the silk-worm is a species of caterpillar, and like it is formed 
of several moveable rings, and is well furnished with feet and claws, 
to rest and fix itself where it pleases. It has two rows of teeth, which 
do not move upwards and downwards, but from right to left, which 
enables it to press, cut, and tear the leaves in every direction. Along 
the whole length of its back we perceive through its skin a vessel 
which performs the function of a heart. On each side of this insect 
are nine orifices, which answer to as many lungs, and assist the circu-. 
lation of the chyle or nutritive juice. Under the mouth it has a kind 
of reel with two holes, through which pass two drops of the gum with 
which its bag is filled ; they act like two distaffs, continually furnish- 
ing it with the materials of which it makes its silk. The gum which 
distils through the two orifices takes their form, lengthens into a 
double thread, which presently loses the fluidity of the liquid gum, 
and acquires the consistence necessary to support or to envelope the 
worm. When that time arrives it joins the two threads together, by 
gluing them one over the other with its fore feet. This double thread 
is not only very fine, but also very strong, and of great length. Each 
bag has a thread which is nearly five hundred German ells long ; and 
as this thread is double, and joined together throughout its length, 
«ach bag will be found to contain a thousand ells of silk, though the 
whole w T eight does not exceed two grains and a half. 

The life of this insect in its vermiform state is very short, and it 
passes through different states till it gradually arrives at its greatest 
degree of perfection. When it first emerges from the egg it is extremely 
small, perfectly black, and its head of a still brighter black than the 
rest of its body : in a few days it begins to grow white, or of an ash 
■colour ; its coat becomes dirty and ruffled ; it casts it off, and appears 
in a new dress ; it becomes larger and much whiter, though a little 
tinged with green, from feeding upon green leaves. After a few more 
days, the number of which varies according to the degree of heat and 
quality of its nourishment, it ceases to eat, and sleeps for nearly two 
days ; it then agitates and frets itself extremely, becoming red with 
the efforts it makes ; its skin wrinkles and shrivels up, it throws it off 
a second time, and gets rid of it with its feet. Thus within the space 
of three weeks or a month we see it fresh dressed three times. It 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 239 

now begins to eat again, and might be taken for a different creature, 
so much is the appearance of its head, colour, and figure, altered. 

After continuing to eat for some days, it falls again into a lethargic 
state ; on recovering from which it once more changes its coat, which 
makes the third since it issued from its shell. It continues to eat for 
some time, then entirely ceasing to take any nutriment, prepares for 
itself a retreat, and draws out a silken thread, which it wraps round 
its body in the same manner as we might wind thread round an oval 
piece of wood. It remains quietly in the bag it has formed, and at 
the end of fifteen days would pierce it to issue forth, if it be not killed 
by being exposed to the heat of the sun, or shut up in an oven. The 
silk-cones are thrown into warm water, and stirred about with birch 
twigs to draw out the heads or beginning of the threads, and the silk 
is afterwards wound upon reels made for the purpose. 

Thus we are indebted to this little insect for great luxury in cloth- 
ing : a reflection which ought to humble our pride ; for how can we 
be vain of the silk which covers us, when w r e reflect to whom we are 
indebted for it, and how little w 7 e are instrumental in the formation 
of those beauties in our clothing of which we are vain ] 

Thus we find the most insignificant and despicable objects are the 
instruments of ornament and advantage to man ; an insect that we 
scarcely condescend to look at becomes a blessing to thousands of 
human beings, and forms an important article of trade, and a great 
source of riches. Let us, then, instead of passing our days in the rou- 
tine of indolence and luxurious dissipation, imitate the industrious 
silkworm, and endeavour, by the unremitting and assiduous cultiva- 
tion of our faculties, to render ourselves useful to mankind ; and if 
we are neither able nor fortunate enough to discover some new truth, 
let us at least attempt to make all w T ithin the circle of our influence 
happy and contented by our generous exertions for their welfare. 



JULY IV. 

THE RAINBOW. 

When the rays of the sun strike upon drops of water falling from 
the clouds, and we are so placed that our backs are towards the sun, 
and the clouds before us, we observe a peculiar phenomenon in the 
heavens called a rainbow. The drops of rain may be considered as 
small transparent globules upon which the rays fall, and are twice re- 
fracted and once reflected. Hence proceed the different colours of 
the rainbow : they are seven in number, and appear in the following 
order ; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. These 
colours appear the more vivid as the clouds which are behind are 
darker, and the drops of rain fall closer. The drops falling continu- 
ally produce a new rainbow every moment, and as each spectator ob- 
serves it from a particular situation, it happens that scarcely two men. 



240 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

strictly speaking", see the same rainbow ; and this meteorous appear 
ance can only last whilst the drops of rain continue to fall. 

If we consider the rainbow merely as a phenomenon of nature, it 
presents one of the most beautiful spectacles we can possibly con- 
ceive, and is one of the most magnificent of nature's pictures ; but 
when we recollect that God has made this meteor a sign of his mercy, 
and the confirmation of his holy covenant vouchsafed to mankind, 
we may make it the subject of a most edifying, as well as pleasing, 
reflection. When the rain descends from one extremity of the horizon 
to the other we cannot see a rainbow, because to form this meteor 
the sun must appear at the same time with the rain ; and when the 
sky is only covered with clouds on one side, and the sun appears on 
the other, it is a sign that these clouds will soon disperse, and that 
the sky will become clear and serene ; this also is the reason why we 
cannot see the rainbow unless the sun is behind, and the watery cloud 
before us. In order to form the rainbow, then, the sun and the rain 
must both be present at the same time : we may therefore rest as- 
sured, every time we witness this beautiful phenomenon, that we are 
safe from the inundation of a deluge ; for, to effect this, the rain must 
descend in torrents from all parts of the heavens, and if this happen- 
ed the sun could not be seen. We could not see the colours of the 
rainbow if the sky was too clear ; to produce such an effect a part of 
the horizon must be covered with thick clouds. 

All these considerations naturally dispose our minds to pious reflec- 
tions. As often as we see the Heavens adorned with the beautiful 
colours of the rainbow, we may truly say, How great is the majesty 
of God ! How wonderful his goodness towards his creatures ! We 
still see that He remembers us in mercy. Let us then bow before 
and adore Him who keeps his covenant, and fulfils all his merciful 
promises ; blessed be his name through all the ages of eternity ! 



JULY V. 



The construction of birds' nests shows us many curious objects, 
which cannot be uninteresting to the reflecting mind. Who can help 
admiring those little regular edifices composed of so many different 
materials, collected and arranged with so much pains and skill ; and 
constructed with so much industry, elegance, and neatness, with no 
other tools than a bill and two feet 1 That men can erect great build- 
ings, according to certain rules of art, is not surprising, when we con- 
sider that they enjoy the reasoning faculty, and that they possess 
tools and instruments of various kinds to facilitate their work ; but 
that a delicate little bird, in want of almost every thing necessary for 
such an undertaking, with only its bill and claws, should know how 
to combine so much skill, regularity of form, and solidity of structure, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 241 

in forming its nest, is truly wonderful, and never enough to be admired. 
We shall therefore consider it more minutely. 

Nothing is more curious than the nest of a goldfinch. The inside 
is lined with cotton, wool, and fine silky threads, while the outside is 
interwoven with thick moss ; and that the nest may be less remark- 
able, and less exposed to the eye of observers, the colour of the moss 
resembles that of the bark of the tree or of the hedge where the nest 
is built. In some nests the hair, the down, and the straws, are curi- 
ously laid across each other, and interwoven together. There are 
others, all the parts of which are neatly joined and fastened together 
by a thread which the bird makes with flax, and horse or cow-hair, 
and often of spiders' webs. Other birds, as the blackbird and the 
lapwing, after having built their nest, plaster the outside with a thin 
coating of mortar, which cements and binds together all the lower 
parts, and which, with the help of some cow-hair or moss stuck to it 
whilst the plaster is wet, keeps it compact and warm. The nests of 
swallows are differently constructed from all others. They use 
neither sticks, straws, nor flax ; but they compose a sort of cement, 
with which they make themselves nests, perfectly neat, secure, and 
convenient. To moisten the dust of which they form their nest, they 
frequently skim over the surface of some lake or river, and, dipping 
their breasts into the water, shake their wet feathers upon the dust 
till it is sufficiently moist, and then knead it up into a kind of clay 
with their bills. 

But the nests most worthy of our admiration are those of certain 
Indian birds, which suspend them with great art from the branches 
of trees, that they may be secure from the pursuit of several animals 
and insects. In general each species of bird has a peculiar mode of 
placing its nest : some build them on houses, others in trees, some in 
the grass, others in the ground ; and always in that way which is 
most adapted for their safety, the rearing their young, and the pre- 
servation of their species. 

Such is the wonderful instinct of birds in the structure and dispo- 
sition of their nests, that we may almost conclude they cannot be 
mere machines ; so much industry, intelligence, sagacity, and skill, 
do they display in the construction of their nests. And is it not ap- 
parent that in all their works they propose to themselves certain 
ends ] They make their nests hollow, forming the half of a sphere, 
that the heat may be better retained. The outside of the nest is co- 
vered by substances more or less coarse, not only to serve as a foun- 
dation, but to prevent the wind and insects from entering. The in- 
side is lined with the most delicate materials, such as wool and fea- 
thers, that the nestlings may be soft and warm. 

Is it not something nearly approaching to reason which teaches the 
bird to place its nest in such a manner that it is sheltered from rain, 
and out of the reach of destructive animals 1 Where have they learn- 
ed that they are to produce eggs which will require a nest to prevent 
them from being broken, and to keep them warm 1 That the heat 
would not be sufficiently concentrated if the nest were larger, and 
21 2F 



242 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

that, if it were smaller, all the young ones could not be contained in 
it % Who has taught them not to mistake the time, and to calculate 
so exactly that the eggs are not laid before the nest is finished ] 
These questions have never been satisfactorily answered, neither can 
this mystery in nature be clearly explained : all we can do is to refer 
it to an instinct which some animals seem to possess in a manner 
almost equal to reason : and instinct to them is much more happy 
and beneficial than reason would be ; for they seem to enjoy all the 
sweets of life without their moments being imbittered by the consi- 
deration of their inferior rank in the creation, and without the pain of 
anticipating evil. 



JULY VI. 

DIVERSITY OF PLEASURES IN NATURE. 

To whatever part of the creation we direct our view we find some- 
thing to interest and gratify either our senses, our imagination, or our 
reason. Universal nature is formed to present us with a multitude of 
pleasing objects, and to procure those new and varied delights which 
continually succeed each other. Our inclination for variety is con- 
tinually excited and always gratified ; there is no part of the day in 
which we do not find some gratification for our senses or for our 
minds. Whilst the sun illumines the horizon, plants, animals, and a 
thousand pleasing objects, gratify our view ; and when night extends 
her sable mantle over the earth, the majestic grandeur of the firma- 
ment occasions rapture and astonishment. Every where Nature 
works to procure us new enjoyment; even the smallest insects, 
leaves, and grains of sand, offer subjects of admiration : and he who 
is not struck with this infinite diversity, and does not acknowledge in 
it the goodness of God, must be blind indeed ; and little are his feel- 
ings to be envied whose heart does not throb with pleasure at the 
sight of nature's beautiful objects. 

The same brook that waters the valleys, murmurs sweet music in 
our ear, invites us to soft repose, and refreshes the parched tongue. 
The grove which shields us from the piercing rays of the sun by its 
protecting shade, makes us experience a delicious coolness ; reclining 
at ease beneath the lofty trees, whilst we listen to the joyful songs of 
the birds, a thousand sweet sensations sooth our souls. The trees, 
whose beautiful blossoms so lately delighted us, will soon produce the 
most delicious fruits ; and the meadows, waving with the ripening 
corn, promise an abundant harvest. 

Nature presents us with no objects pleasing and useful in only one 
respect ; she clothes and adorns the earth with green, a colour the 
most beneficial and agreeable to the eye, and adds to its beauty by 
diversifying its shades ; for, though pleasing in itself, its charms are 
much increased by this happy distribution of shade. Each species of 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 243 

plant has its peculiar colour ; landscapes covered with woods, bushes, 
plants, vegetables, and corn, present a most beautiful scene of verdure, 
where the colouring is infinitely varied, and its shades insensibly 
blended, increasing from the lightest tints to the darkest hue ; and 
yet a perfect harmony is always preserved. 

Every month of the year brings us different plants and new flowers, 
Those which are decayed are replaced by others, and by thus suc- 
ceeding each other there is no perceptible void in the vegetable 
kingdom* 

But to whom are we indebted for these numerous and diversified 
presents 1 Who is it that provides for our wants and pleasures with 
so much goodness and munificence'? Go and ask universal nature : 
the hills and the vallies will inform thee, the earth will teach thee, 
and the heaven is a mirror in which thou mayest behold the Author 
of these blessings. The storm and the tempest announce him ; the 
voice of thunder and the fire of lightning, the bow painted in the 
heavens, the rain and the snow, proclaim his wisdom and goodness. 
The green meadows, the fields yellow with the ripe grain, the moun- 
tains whose lofty summits are lost in the clouds, the trees bending 
with fruit, gardens variegated with flowers, and the rose's delicious 
bloom, all bear the stamp of His impression. The birds celebrate 
him in their melodious concerts : the sportive lambs ; the stag, bound- 
ing through the forests ; the worm that crawls in the dust ; the 
ocean-monarch, the huge whale, that with its gambols sinks ships, 
and tumbling in the foam makes the waves roar ; the fearful croco- 
dile ; the elephant, that carries towers upon its back ; all the animals 
that people the air, the earth, and the sea, declare the glory and pro- 
claim the existence of Almighty God. Let us then open our ears to 
this universal voice of nature, which speaks a language we cannot 
resist ; and let us, that are the happy witnesses of these wonders of 
God, come and render unto him, in the presence of his creatures, that 
testimony of gratitude and adoration which is due to him for so many 
blessings. 

We cannot look around but every thing reminds us of his infinite 
goodness, and calls forth our gratitude and joy ; when we walk abroad 
into the fields, and see the rich corn, the flocks feeding, and the ver- 
dant groves, may our souls be filled with pleasure, and our hearts re- 
joice in bliss ! We shall then experience that there is no greater and 
more durable satisfaction than that arising from the contemplation of 
Nature's works, which the longer we consider the more we shall 
admire : and the more attentively we observe the more shall we dis- 
cover that God is a pure being, who loves mercy and goodness, and 
that the Christian religion is a source of unfading joy, and a continual 
motive for grateful adoration. 



244 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

JULY VII. 

A FLOWER-GARDEN. 

Let us now take a view of the flower-garden, and consider the nu 
merous and varied beauties which are collected in so small a space. 
The art and industry of man have made it the receptacle of the most 
beautiful flowers. But what would it have been without care and in- 
dustry 1 A wild desert, full of thorns and weeds. And such would 
be the condition of our youth if their education were neglected, and 
their minds remained uncultivated. But when children early receive 
instruction, and imbibe good principles, they are like sweet blossoms, 
delightful in beauty, and soon productive of fruit that will benefit 
society. 

Observe the night-violet, or Julian flower, which towards evening 
perfumes the garden with its fragrance, in which it excels all other 
flowers ; but it has no beauty, and has scarcely even the resemblance 
of a flower : it is small and of a gray colour, approaching towards 
green, so as to be scarcely distinguished from the leaves ; humble and 
modest, it scents the whole garden, though it is not perceived in the 
multitude ; and it is almost incredible that a flower of such insignifi- 
cant appearance should give out odours so exquisitely sweet. It may 
be said to resemble a person who is not handsome, but whose want of 
beauty nature has more than compensated by a ready wit and en- 
larged mind. The pious man often does good in silence and privacy, 
and the sweet incense of his good works ascends all around him ; and 
when we become acquainted with this amiable character, we perhaps 
find him neither distinguished by elegance of person nor elevation of 
rank. 

The carnation combines both beauty and fragrance, and is one of 
the most perfect of flowers ; in the richness and beauty of its colours 
it approaches the tulip, and surpasses it in the number of its leaves 
and in the elegance of its form. This flower is the emblem of a 
person in whom sense and beauty are united, and who has the happi- 
ness to conciliate the love and respect of his fellow-creatures. 

Let us next observe the rose : its colour, form, and perfume, all 
charm us ; out its beauty soon fades, and the attractions which distin- 
guish it from other flowers soon cease. This is a useful lesson to those 
who pride themselves upon beauty only : from the short-lived honours 
of the rose, let them take warning how frail and perishing are the 
charms of person and the elegance of form. c All is vanity ; all 
flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the field ; 
the grass withereth, and the flower fadeth away.' The lilies and the 
roses of a beautiful face fade like the flowers of the garden, and death 
leaves no trace of them behind. Let us then be wise enough to seek 
our happiness and repose from more certain and durable sources. Wis- 
dom, virtue, and the blessings of Christianity, never fade, and are 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 245 

never exhausted ; they are the eternal fountains of joy whose waters 
shall refresh when every other source is dried up. 



JULY VIII. 

PHENOMENA OF A THUNDER-STORM. 

However terrible the effects of storms and of thunder may be, they 
present a spectacle so grand and astonishing that they claim our most 
earnest consideration. An examinatiou into their nature and effects 
is the more necessary, because it often happens that an excessive fear 
prevents our considering this grand and awful spectacle with sufficient 
attention. 

When a stormy cloud or collection of vapours highly electrified 
approaches so near a high building, or a cloud which is not electri- 
fied, that an electric spark escapes from it, an explosion takes place, 
which is called a clap of thunder ; and the vivid light that we see is 
lightning. Sometimes we only see a sudden and momentary flash ; 
at other times a train of fire shoots through the heavens in a forked 
or zig-zag form. The explosion which accompanies the lightning 
demonstrates that the vapours which occasion the thunder, becoming 
suddenly ignited, violently agitate and expand the air ; with the 
emission of each electric spark an explosion is heard, and the thunder 
is sometimes composed of several claps, or is prolonged and multiplied 
by echo. 

There is generally some interval of time between the lightning 
and the thunder-clap, and this enables us to judge of the degree and 
nearness of the danger ; for sound requires some time to reach our 
ear, while light passes so rapidly, that, travelling through the same 
space, it strikes upon our organs of vision much sooner. As soon, 
therefore, as we see a flash of lightning, we have only to count the 
seconds that intervene before we hear the thunder ; or if we have not 
a watch, we may count how many times our pulse beats between the 
clap and the flash ; if we can reckon ten, we are certain that the 
thunder is distant a quarter of a league ; for about forty pulsations 
may be felt whilst the sound travels the space of one league.* 

Lightning does not always proceed in a right line from above down- 
wards, but often in a serpentine or zig-zag direction, and sometimes 
does not flash till very near the ground. The electric matter which 
reaches the earth, or takes fire near it, never fails to strike ; but it has 
not always force enough to reach us, and, like an ill-charged bomb, 
is spent in the air without doing any injury : but when the combus- 
tible vapours reach the ground they often occasion great damage. 

* Perhaps it may assist those who are not accustomed to this kind of calculation, to 
be aware that sound passes about one thousand feet in one second of time ; so that if 
twenty seconds can be counted between the clap and the flash, the place where the 
thunder is generated is distant twenty thousand feet. — E. 
21* 



246 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

However, as uncultivated tracts of land, deserts, and places where 
there are no habitations, form the greatest part of our globe, the thun- 
der may often peal, and the lightning's flash pierce the earth, void of 
harm. The course of lightning is very singular and uncertain, and 
depends upon the direction of the wind, the quantity of exhalations, 
and various other causes. It passes wherever it meets with combus- 
tible matter, as when gunpowder is lighted the flame runs along the 
course of the train, firing every thing in its way. 

We may judge of the force of the lightning by the astonishing 
effects it produces : such is the ardency of the flame that it consumes 
all combustible bodies ; it even melts metals, but often spares the 
substances contained in them when they are sufficiently porous to 
admit of a free passage through them. It is owing to the amazing 
velocity of the lightning that the bones of animals are sometimes 
calcined without the flesh being at all injured ; that the strongest 
buildings are thrown down, the trees torn up by the roots, or cleft, 
the thickest walls overturned, and stones and rocks broken and re- 
duced to powder. To the sudden rarefaction and violent agitation of 
the air, produced by the intense heat and velocity of the lightning, 
may be attributed the death of those animals that are found suf- 
focated without any appearance of having been struck by lightning. 

Let us then meditate in silence upon the awful and sublime ap- 
pearance of a storm ; when we see the black clouds gather, and the 
sun withdraw his light, as if to hide himself from the contending ele- 
ments, let us remember it is the Lord Omnipotent i who bows the 
heavens, and comes down with darkness under his feet.' The winds 
rush from the four corners of heaven, and the storm thickens ; but 
God himself is in the whirlwind, and * walketh upon the wings of the 
wind.' At his command the clouds retire, and the thunder and red 
lightning disperse. ' Hearken attentively to the sound of his voice, 
to the terrible sound that goeth out of his mouth. He directeth it 
under the whole heaven, and darts his lightning unto the ends of the 
earth.' But though his countenance be lifted up in wrath, and his 
storms strike terror into a guilty world, his beneficent hand is merci- 
fully extended to all who prefer the sweets of religion and the purity 
of innocence to the empty and insignificant pursuits of thoughtless 
folly, or the more baneful practice of iniquity and continued dissipa- 
tion. 



JULY IX. 

THE ANTS. 



The ants, as well as the bees, may be considered as a little com- 
monwealth, having a peculiar government, laws, and police. They 
live in a sort of town, divided into various streets, which lead to as 
many magazines. Their industry and activity in collecting and using 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 247 

the materials which they want for their habitation is admirable. They 
all unite together to dig the earth and carry it away from their re- 
treat ; they collect a great quantity of grass, straw, sticks, &c. with 
which they form a heap, that at first seems very irregularly con- 
structed, but a closer examination discovers much art and skill. Be- 
neath the domes or little hillocks that cover them, and which are 
always so contrived as to throw off the water, there are passages which 
communicate together, and may be considered as the streets of their 
little city. 

But what is still more remarkable is the care which the ants take 
of their eggs ; they convey them with the utmost solicitude from 
place to place, nourish their young, and remove with the tenderest 
anxiety every thing that might hurt them. Their painful toils to 
procure provisions during the summer are chiefly for the preservation 
of their young ; for the ants themselves require no food during the 
winter, being nearly in a state of insensibility or sleep till the return 
of the spring. As soon as their young come out of the eggs, the 
ants are busily employed in feeding them, and undergo much labour 
in the precious charge. They have generally several habitations, 
and they transport their young from one to another they may wish to 
people. According as the weather is cold or hot, wet or dry, they 
bring their chrysals nearer to the surface of the earth, or remove them 
farther downward. In mild weather they bring them near the sur- 
face ; and sometimes after a shower of rain place them where they 
may receive the warmth of the sun-beams : or after a long drought 
they lay them in the dew ; but as the shades of night deepen, or 
rain and cold set in, they again take up their little ones, and carry 
them low down in the earth. 

There are several varieties of these insects: the wood-ants only in- 
habit forests or bushes, and do no harm to the fields ; of these there 
are two species, one red, the other bla6k. Some of them settle in the 
ground, in dry soils, generally choosing those places where they find 
roots of fir-trees or birch. Others inhabit old trunks of trees above 
ground, and sufficiently high to be out of the reach of its moisture ; 
they make themselves apartments in the cavities of the trunk, and 
cover them with straw and other materials to shelter them from snow 
and rain. 

The field-ants are also red or black, like the others, but they are 
smaller in size ; they either live among the corn or in the soil of the 
field. When the weather is dry they bury themselves pretty deep ; 
but as soon as it becomes rainy, they raise their habitations, according 
as there is more or less moisture, and when it diminishes they return 
to their subterranean dwellings. Ants are also furnished with wings, 
and towards the autumn they are seen to fly in swarms over ditches 
and ponds. 

Some people may perhaps think that these mischievous ants can 
deserve no portion of our attention, when they do so much injury to 
our fields, by their subterranean works making the ground hollow, 
and preventing vegetables from growing. Other complaints are also 



248 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

alleged against them ; they are enemies to bees and silk-worms, and 
are supposed to injure flowers and young trees. Hence the ants are 
generally exterminated whenever they are found. But whatever are 
their powers of doing mischief, they certainty, as a link of the great 
chain of animal nature, claim our attention, and are worthy of our 
observation. They supply various birds with food, and afford a very 
useful example of industry, whilst their parental affection for their 
little ones is highly worthy of imitation. Thus we still find that every 
work of God is excellent and worthy of our admiration, however in- 
significant or injurious, upon a superficial examination, they may 
appear. * The supreme Creator, by whom all things exist, has cre- 
ated nothing without design, nothing that has not its particular use 
and destination. The trees have not a leaf, the fields a single blade 
of grass, nor the flowers a stamen, that is useless.' 



JULY X. 



HAIL. 



Hail is nothing more than drops of rain, which, being congealed in 
the air, fall in a spherical, oblong, or angular form. Should it seem 
strange that vapours freeze in the atmosphere during the warmest 
season of the year, we must consider that even at the time of the 
greatest heat, the upper region of the atmosphere is very cold. Ir 
this were not the case, how could the highest mountains remain co- 
vered with snow during the summer] In the hottest regions of Ameri- 
ca it is so cold on the top of very high mountains that there is a danger 
of being frozen, if any one is so adventurous as to climb their lofty 
summits ; and w~e should have snow in the middle of summer, if it 
did not melt during its fall before it arrived at the ground. When 
the particles of snow unite, the drops begin to congeal ; and as during 
their descent they pass suddenly through warmer regions of air, be- 
fore the increase of temperature has had time to operate, they are 
completely frozen. 

It might on the contrary be supposed, that the cold would dimi- 
nish in proportion as they pass through warmer air ; but what takes 
place in winter, when cold water which has been exposed to the open 
air is brought into a warm room 1 It freezes and becomes ice, which 
would not have been the case if it had been taken into a cold 
room. And this is exactly the case with hail; when cold bodies 
suddenly pass into a warm medium, their cold augments to such a 
degree that they are converted into ice. Saline particles diffused 
through the atmosphere contribute to this effect : hence we must 
not be surprised that storms are not always accompanied with hail ; 
for to produce it, a quantity of saline vapours is necessary to occasion 
the drops of water to freeze more instantaneously. Though hail is 
most frequent in summer, it falls also in the other seasons ; for as 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 349 

saline exhalations exist in every season of the year, there may be 
hail in winter, spring, or autumn, as well as in summer. 

The size and form of hail are not always alike : hail-stones are 
sometimes round, at others concave and half spherical, and often coni- 
cal and angular ; their usual size is that of small shot, though some- 
times they are much larger. This difference in their figure and bulk 
may depend upon accidental causes, such as winds, especially those 
which are boisterous : and a particle of hail may meet in its fall with 
substances with which it unites, and thus its volume become in- 
creased ; and sometimes several small particles unite and form one 
large hail -stone. 

When the hail is of a very large size, it often causes immense 
damage to the harvest, fruits, vines, and buildings. But this by no 
means entitles us to consider it as a curse or a judgment of God ; for 
if the violence of this meteor sometimes lays waste our fields and 
breaks our windows, the ravages it occasions are nothing in compari- 
son of the advantages which it produces. It cools the air during the 
fervent summer heats, and when it dissolves fertilizes the earth : 
hence we have no reason to fear its falling from the clouds, but should 
rather consider its beneficial consequences, and glorify that heavenly 
Being who, in the midst of hail and of storms, still worketh our good, 
and provideth for our felicity. 



JULY XL 

THE UTILITY OF STORMS. 

We ought always to consider the phenomena of nature in such a 
light as to impress upon our minds the wisdom and goodness of God ; 
and this duty is the more indispensable, because it is often neglected 
by inattentive, ignorant, and ungrateful people. It is true that God 
sometimes makes use of natural phenomena to punish the sins of 
man ; but these particular instances do not disprove that he always 
proposes and has in view the general welfare of all ; and of this, na- 
ture furnishes us with abundant examples and incontestable proofs. 
In this day's reflection we will confine our attention to a single phe- 
nomenon, which is particularly suited to convince us of the above 
proposition, and upon which our ideas ought to be very clear. 

Are not the greater part of mankind accustomed from early infancy 
to pronounce the words thunder and lightning with terror 1 Such is 
our injustice, that we only think of the extremely rare cases in which 
storms are fatal to a very small part of the universe ; whilst we shut 
our eyes to the great advantages which result from them to the to- 
tality of mankind. We are not able to enumerate all the benefits we 
derive from storms ; but the few that we are acquainted with will 
suffice to fill our hearts with gratitude to our heavenly Benefactor. 

Let us present to our minds the idea of an atmosphere charged 

2G 



250 STURM'S REFLECTIONS 

with noxious and pestilential vapours, which become more and more 
dense by the continual evaporation from earthly substances, of which 
many are prutrescent and poisonous ; this air we are under the ne- 
cessity of breathing ; the preservation or the destruction of our exist- 
ence depends upon it ; and thus the salubrity or insalubrity of the 
air dispenses life or death. Most of us have experienced a state of 
great oppression and languor during the stifling heat of summer ; 
when our respiration is difficult, and we labour under great uneasi- 
ness and anxiety. Must it not then be considered as a great blessing 
of God, and deserving of our warmest gratitude, that a salutary storm 
arises and purifies the air of its noxious properties ; kindles the sul- 
phureous particles, and thus prevents their dangerous effects ; cools 
the air, and by restoring its elasticity facilitates respiration. 

Without an occasional storm the impure exhalations would be more 
and more increased and prejudicial ; animals would perish by thou- 
sands, and an universal plague would desolate the earth. Which 
then is the most rational, to rejoice or repine at the presence of storms] 
To murmur at the slight damage they sometimes occasion, or to bless 
the Almighty for the precious advantages they procure to the world ] 
Besides, not only men and animals derive much benefit from the at- 
mosphere being purified from its noxious vapours, but it is also highly 
advantageous to vegetables. Experience teaches us that the rain 
which falls during a thunder-storm is productive of the greatest fer- 
tility to the earth. The saline and sulphureous particles which fill the 
atmosphere during a storm are drawn down by the rain, and become 
an excellent source of nourishment to plants ; to say nothing of the 
immense multitude of little worms, seeds, and insects, which are 
forced into the earth by the rain, and which by the assistance of a 
microscope may be easily discovered in the drops of water. 

Reflections like these may perhaps tend to moderate the excessive 
fear some people have of thunder, a fear which denotes the little con- 
fidence they place in God. Instead of suffering a storm to possess our 
minds with terrific and fearful ideas, let us rather accustom ourselves 
to consider it as an object of grandeur and sublimity ; instead of re- 
garding the accidents caused by thunder, let us only observe the ne- 
cessity and great utility of storms ; and, instead of praying the Al- 
mighty to withhold the tempest, let us beseech him to suffer it from 
time to time to descend upon the earth, or let us rather entirely rely 
upon the mercy and goodness of Him who rules over the universe in 
wisdom, and knows what is best for us. Every time the storm shall 
lower and the thunder peal, let us say from our hearts, in the fulness 
of our confidence, Almighty God ! it is thou who commandest the 
elements, and directest the lightning ; we are in thy hands ; thou 
alone canst save ; thou alone canst destroy. At thy word the storm 
shall desolate our fields, or make them fruitful. Thou alone art great, 
and thy power is inexpressible : but we are thy weak and helpless chil- 
dren, and thou art to us a father of mercy and of love ; and when thy 
voice is heard in thunder, and thy countenance seen in the winged 
lightning, it is still for our good. Blessed for ever be thy holy name ; 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 251 

let all the ends of the earth raise one universal Hallelujah^ the music 
of which shall be heard in heaven ! 



JULY XII. 

OP THE EARTH, AND ITS PRIMITIVE CONSTITUTION. 

The earth is so constituted as to be fit for the production and growth 
of herbs, plants, and trees. It is sufficiently compact for vegetables 
to grow in it, so firm that the wind does not blow them down; and 
yet it is so light and moveable that plants may put forth their roots in 
it, and attract humidity and nutritive juices. When even the surface 
of the earth is dry and parched, its lightness facilitates the rising of 
the juices in the capillary vessels to provide plants with their neces- 
sary support. Besides this, the earth is full of different kinds of juices, 
which tend to promote the growth of plants : and that every species 
of vegetables may flourish, we find there are different sorts of earth, 
which answer different purposes ; such as potters' earth, argillaceous, 
calcareous, &c. Some are used to make bricks, others to construct 
buildings, and form earthenware and porcelain, and some are used 
to dye colours, and for medicine.* 

The inequalities on the earth's surface are of great utility : many 
plants and animals inhabit the mountains ; and these lofty eminences 
also serve to break the violence of the winds, and produce a great va- 
riety of plants and wholesome fruits which would not thrive in the 
valleys or on the plains ; they contain useful metals and fossils, and 
from them proceed the sources of many rivers produced by the melt- 
ing of the snow, by rains, and different watery exhalations. The 
stones which are in the earth serve to build walls and make glass. 
The uses of metals are extremely various ; we need only consider the 
many tools they furnish to our workmen and artists, the numerous 
utensils and the furniture that are made of them, and the many orna- 
ments and conveniences we derive from them. We also obtain great 
advantages from the solidity and weight of these bodies. 

The great utility of minerals is generally known. Volcanoes and 
earthquakes, however they may sometimes devastate a country, are 
useful and necessary ; and we must impute it to our ignorance if there 
are many things whose use we cannot discover. When we see cer- 
tain phenomena in nature which are sometimes prejudicial, we should 
always remember that God only permits them to happen for the per- 
fection and good of the whole ; and rightly to judge of his works, we 
must not consider them partially, but take a wide and extensive sur- 
vey of all the parts of a whole, and examine them both separately 
and combined. We shall then find that many things which we 

* The different earths at present known are ten : barytee, strontian, lime, magnesia, 
alumina, yttria, glucina, zirconia, agustina, and silicia. — E. 



253 STURM'S REFLECTIONS* 

thought were injurious, are on the contrary of an incontestable utility; 
and others which appear superfluous, we should find to be necessary 
to the perfection of the whole, and their removal would occasion a 
chasm in the empire of nature. How many things are there which 
appear to us insignificant and of little worth, because from our ig- 
norance we are not acquainted with their use and true worth 1 Give 
a magnet to a man unacquainted with its virtue, and he will disre- 
gard it entirely, or consider it with indifference; but inform him that 
by means of this little instrument the greatest quarter of the globe was 
discovered, and that men securely traverse the ocean with no other 
guide, his opinion will immediately change, and he will prize as much 
as he before contemned it. And this instance is applicable to thou- 
sands of cases, where we despise the means because we are ignorant 
of the end, where we disregard the object because we do not know its 
use. Lord ! the earth is full of thy goodness ; all is arranged with 
wisdom ! May we consider it as our chief duty to apply ourselves more 
and more to know thee ; and to pay thee that just tribute of grati- 
tude and love which we owe thee for the various blessings we derive 
from the earth. 



JULY XIII. 

PHASES OF THE MOON. 

*t has been ascertained by attentive observation that the moon hag 
a peculiar motion round the earth from west to east ; for after having 
been between our earth and the sun, she retires from under that body, 
and continues to fall back towards the east, changing from day to day 
her place of rising. In fifteen days she will have reached the most 
eastern extremity of the horizon, at the time we see the sun set ; she 
is then said to be in opposition : in the evening when the sun retires, 
she rises above our horizon ; and sets in the morning as the sun rises. 
If she then continues to traverse the circle which she has begun round 
the earth, and the half of which she has accomplished, she will visi- 
bly remove more from her point of opposition with the sun, and will 
gradually approach nearer to him ; we shall then see her later than 
when in opposition, till by degrees she will only be seen a little before 
sun-rise. This revolution of the moon round the earth explains why 
she rises and sets at different times, and why her phases are so diverse 
and yet so regular. Nobody is ignorant that a globe illuminated by 
the sun, or by a torch, can only receive its light immediately upon 
one side. We are readily convinced that the moon is a sphere which 
receives its light from the sun ; when therefore she is in conjunction, 
that is, placed between the sun and us, her illuminated half is turned 
towards him, and her dark part towards us ; consequently, at that 
time she is invisible to us : she then rises and sets with the sun in the 
same regions of the sky, and is called new moon, or the conjunction. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 253 

But when the moon retires from under the sun, and passes back to- 
wards the east, her dark side is not then entirely turned towards us : 
a small portion, a slight border, of the illuminated disk comes in 
view ; and we see this luminous border upon the right, near the set- 
ting sun ; and the horns of this crescent turn towards the left, or 
facing the east. As the moon removes farther from the sun, she be- 
comes more visible ; and at the end of seven days, when arrived at a 
quarter of her course round the earth, she displays more and more of 
her illumined side, till at length we see the half of it. The luminous 
part is then turned towards the sun, and the dark part reflects no 
light upon us. This luminous part is exactly half the lunar sphere : 
the half of this half is then a quarter of the whole sphere, and is in 
reality this quarter which we see ; and the moon is then said to be in 
her first quarter. 

In proportion as the moon becomes more distant from the sun, and 
the earth advances between them, a greater surface of that part of 
the moon which is directed towards us becomes luminous. At the 
end of seven days, reckoning from the first quarter, she is nearly in 
opposition with the sun, and her whole disk is illumined, and visible 
to us. She then rises in the east precisely at the time the sun sets 
in the west, and we have a full moon. As early as the next day, the 
enlightened half is turned a little from us, and we no longer see the 
moon at the full. The light gradually leaves the western side, ex- 
tending itself to the half which is turned from the earth : this is the 
decrease of the moon, and the farther she advances forward, the more 
her dark part increases, till at length half of it is turned towards the 
earth, and consequently half her luminous side ; she has then the 
form of a semicircle, and is in her last quarter. 

By the admirable harmony which subsists between the revolution 
of this planet upon its axis, and its course round the sun, it happens 
that the moon always presents to us the same half-sphere that she 
has shown from her first creation. During the lapse of so many ages, 
she has, in one regular and constant course, completed her revolution 
in twenty-seven days and eight hours. Regularly and at the same 
periods she has enlightened at one time our nights, and at another 
those of more distant climates. 

From the revolutions of the moon, let us turn our attention to those 
of terrestriaL objects. Sometimes health, pleasure, and affluence, 
with a thousand other advantages, concur to render us happy, and a 
luminous tract marks our progress through life. But a reverse hap- 
pens : and ere the sun that rose upon us in the morning with joy and 
gladness sinks beneath the western ocean, our light is obscured, and 
nought remains but the bitter remembrance of departed pleasures ; 
hope no more gilds our bosom, and all our thoughts are turned to 
sorrow. Yet this change is highly useful to the mind : it teaches us 
the uncertainty of worldly blessings, softens and ameliorates our 
hearts, and raises in our souls a fond desire after that happy country 
where the free mind shall rejoice in its existence, and live for ever in- 
creasing in purity and all perfection. 
zz 



254 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

JULY XIV. 

MINERAL WATERS. 

Whether we consider mineral waters in respect to their formation, 
or to their utility to man, they are doubtless highly valuable and im- 
portant. But men are generally too inattentive to such subjects ; and 
the places where these sources of life and health flow in abundance, 
are often the scenes of very different occupations than those of sing- 
ing praises to the Creator, and pouring forth the sentiments of grati- 
tude for such choice blessings. 

The sources of common salt are richly deserving of our attention ; 
it is probable that they owe their origin to the mineral salt which the 
waters dissolve in the earth. The mineral hot springs are equally 
remarkable. They are very numerous ; and the water of some of 
them is so hot, that they require several hours to become cool enough 
to be used as a bath. It is a curious question, whence their heat is 
derived. It cannot be from the sun, because in that case the waters 
would only be hot in the day-time, whilst exposed to the sunbeams ; 
and they would become cooler on the approach of night, and during the 
winter. The most natural solution of this question is, that the waters, 
by passing through soils containing sulphureous, pyritic, and metallic 
substances, acquire their great degree of heat. Medicinal waters, 
particularly those which are acidulous, are produced by dissolving and 
mixing with the minerals that they pass over. They are generally 
found in places where there is abundance of iron, copper, sulphur, 
and carbon. Hence their taste and effects are various, according as 
they are more or less impregnated with these bodies. They are bit- 
ter when they contain the juices of bitter roots, salts, and copper ; 
they are cold when impregnated with sal ammoniac, nitre, alum, &c. 
or when they issue from the bed of a rock. Unctuous and bitumi- 
nous substances impart to them a degree of oiliness ; and sulphur 
combined with an acid renders them sulphureous. Let us then ad- 
mire the inexhaustible riches of that divine goodness which has pre- 
pared for the benefit of man so many unfailing sources of health. 
Mineral waters may answer many other purposes, but certainly their 
great and chief use is the preservation and health of man. Let us, 
then, and more particularly those who have experienced the salu- 
brious effects of these springs, rejoice and be thankful for the nume- 
rous blessings of Heaven ; and you that are able endeavour to imi- 
tate the purest of all Beings, by making your riches the sources of 
life and consolation to the needy and afflicted children of poverty. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 255 

JULY XV. 

CONTINUED ACTIVITY OF NATURE IN THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 

Whoever is desirous of knowing why Nature is never idle through- 
out the year, need only consider the numerous advantages that result 
from her constant activity. The vegetable kingdom supplies animals 
with a great part of their food, and affords the mind pleasure by its 
great diversity. The beneficent Creator ordered that nature should 
conduce to the pleasure as well as the support of man : hence plants 
do not appear all at once, but in a certain succession ; for if this was 
not the case, they could not produce such beneficial consequences. 
How would men be able to secure their harvests, if all fruits arrived 
at maturity in the same season 1 And what would become of many 
millions of animals that had not the means of laying up stores 1 How 
could the numerous species of insects that live upon flowers exist, if 
they all grew at the same time, and lived but for a month or two ? 
For though many insects cannot be found during the winter, they still 
live in a torpid state, and come forth as soon as the returning warmth 
renders them lively. 

It is then very clear, that if nature was differently arranged, 
both men and animals would materially suffer, if not entirely pe- 
rish ; and we may justly conclude that it is for their preservation 
that nature operates with such a constant activity in the vegetable 
kingdom. 

If we reflect upon the pleasures of vision and of smell, which men 
so eminently enjoy, we shall also find that to promote these it was 
necessary that nature should have her present arrangement. It was 
not only requisite that she should display her flowers in all their 
beauty, but also that she should afford a constant supply throughout 
the year, that our enjoyment might never cease. In spring, when 
we go forth into the country to contemplate the different productions 
that are growing up for our future nourishment, we see the young- 
buds and the trees gradually unfolding their beauties. As summer 
advances, and the tender corn begins to shoot into ear, a thousand 
beautiful flowers mingle their charms in a sweet succession of varied 
gayety ; and at length, when the wintry blast blows cold, and makes 
the fireside comfortable, nature produces other vegetables, which, 
though not so striking to the sight, are still very useful. 

From all this it appears that the chief design of the Creator in this 
happy arrangement of nature, is the advantage and well-being of 
man. Every thing is so admirably regulated, that men, as well as 
other animals, gain an adequate supply of nourishment. Every sea- 
son brings forth its peculiar flowers : and fruits, each appearing in its 
appointed time : as one gradually decays and perishes, another comes 
forth in youthful beauty ; and the many thousands of plants which 
we see all follow the same law. Every thing that bears the stamp 
of God's creation, is formed in the same regular and wise order, 



256 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

though the weakness of our intellect sometimes prevents our disco* 
vering their real purpose and design. 

Let us then for ever bless our Creator, and render unto him all 
glory and honour ; acknowledging in humble reverence and with 
grateful hearts, that in all the revolutions which agitate the vast em- 
pire of nature, whether in the animal or the vegetable creation, He 
proposes only our good, and more perfect happiness ; and then when 
we joyfully walk abroad into the flowery meads, and contemplate 
nature's ever-varying beauties, we shall only breathe the language of 
gratitude and love, and our souls will approach nearer to the purity 
and ethereal essence of the all-perfect God. 



JULY XVI. 

BEAUTY AND USE OF MEADOWS. 

The sight of a fine and well-cultivated garden, in these summer 
days, is highly pleasing, and forms a gratification of which those 
people who remain shut up in their houses can have no conception. 
But to the true lover of nature, a regular and beautifully disposed 
garden has no charms equal to those of the valleys smiling in rustic 
simplicity ; the proudly-bearing tulip, the elegant narcissus, and the 
beauteous hyacinth, must yield to the sweet little flowers that mo- 
destly raise their heads amid their native fields. Whilst the former 
only please by their beauty, these often combine with simple charms 
an evident utility, which continues to gratify when beauty is no more. 
Do we not, in those long and straight gravel walks, so uniform and 
neat — in those clumps of trees, those arbours and beds of flowers so 
regularly formed, and borders neatly cut, with high walls and enclo- 
sures surrounding all — feel a degree of confinement that is irksome, 
and restriction that is unpleasant ] Whatever limits our view seems 
to set bounds to our liberty, and we long to range abroad in the open 
fields and meadows, where no dead wall shall obstruct our prospect, 
nor uniform enclosure pain our sight. In proportion as our range of 
nature is wide and extensive, our independence seems to increase, 
and we delight to roam at ease, in careless thought or in musing con- 
templation. 

The beauties of a garden are soon observed, and when their no- 
velty is over, half their charms are lost : the eye becomes weary of 
surveying the same objects ; little pleasure can be derived from con- 
tinually viewing the uniformity of shrubs ever seen in the same place, 
or contemplating plants whose variety may be explored in an hour ; 
we pass up one walk and come down another, and if we cannot dis- 
cover a third, measure back our steps, and are not sorry when we are 
permitted to retire : whilst in the open champaign the aspect of nature 
is ever changing, the eye fondly stretches far on the horizon's distant 
boundary, and when the lawn can no longer be distinguished from the 






STURM'S REFLECTIONS, 257 

sky, imagination lends her aid, and we dwell with rapture upon a 
picture which art cannot imitate. Our pleasure is farther increased 
by that inequality of surface which we every where observe through- 
out nature ; from the stupendous mountain's crag, where the bleak 
wind whistles, to the sheltered valley. She is her own gardener, and 
is never weary with labouring ; her seeds and fruits are exhaustless, 
and her verdure is only interrupted to return with fresher beauty ; her 
streams overflow and renew the parched and drooping herbs, and each 
of these has a seed, blossom, and beauty, peculiar to itself. For 
though the same species of herb may be very abundant in every field, 
we can scarcely step without meeting with a great variety differing in 
figure and properties, and presenting us not merely with beauty and 
diversity, but also with very great and indispensable benefits. The 
fields produce plants for our nourishment when we are Well, and for 
our relief when sick. They also support those animals whose use we 
could not dispense with : such as the ox, upon which we feed, and 
whose services are used in agriculture ; the horse, whose uses are so 
numerous and various ; and the cow, whose milk is so nourishing. 
These, with many other useful animals, require nothing more than 
the grass of the meadow, which demands neither sowing nor labour ; 
its produce is certain, and the farmer has no other trouble than to col- 
lect what nature exuberantly gives him. 

But it is melancholy to reflect that men are generally too much ab- 
sorbed in worldly cares to be attentive or sensible to the bounty of God 
lavished in nature ; they see with indifference the fields clothed with 
grass ; whether because springing up under their feet they think it un- 
worthy of notice, or because it grows spontaneously without their 
assistance. Whatever be the cause of this indifference, it is a re- 
proach to the human character, and deserving of the severest repre- 
hension. Let us then beseech the Almighty Power, to whom we owe 
all our earthly good and hopes of future bliss, that when we walk 
forth into the meadows and the valle)^s, our hearts may be grateful, 
and softened with the dew of heaven ; that when we behold all the 
beautiful variety of flowers that adorn the fields, we may be more sen- 
sible to the goodness of God, who extends his omnipotent arm over 
the whole creation, showering down his blessings as from a never- 
failing, never-dying spring, whose silent waters exuberantly pour 
upon the whole earth. 



JULY XVII. 

MORNING TWILIGHT. 



Twilight, like every other phenomenon of nature, is doubtless in- 
tended for our benefit. It is nothing more than a prolongation of day, 
which at one time prepares our eyes to support the brilliancy of day, 
at another to bear the darkness of night. The twilight is not always 
22* 2H 



258 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

the same ; it differs according to climate and season. Towards the 
poles it continues longer than in the torrid zone, where the people see 
the sun rise directly above the horizon, and dip in the same direction 
beneath the lower hemisphere ; hence they suddenly pass from the 
light of day into total darkness. Whilst, on the contrary, the sun 
darting his rays obliquely towards the poles, and not descending far 
below the horizon of the neighbouring people, it happens, that their 
nights, though long, are almost always accompanied by twilight, and 
therefore are in some degree luminous. 

As for us, who are placed at nearly an equal distance from the 
inhabitants of the torrid and those of the frigid zone, we plainly observe 
that the twilight becomes sensibly shorter as the length of the days 
diminishes, and longer in proportion as they lengthen. In the evening, 
after the sun sets, we enjoy an hour, and sometimes more, of twilight. 
This useful arrangement is owing to the atmosphere, which to a cer- 
tain height every where surrounds the earth. And such is its nature, 
that the rays of light that pass through it perpendicularly are not 
diverted from their straight direction ; but when the rays fall obliquely 
instead of passing in right lines, they bend or are refracted, descend- 
ing a little lower, in such a manner that the greater number of rays 
which penetrate the atmosphere on the side of the earth, fall in con- 
sequence of this inflection upon it ; and thus, instead of passing directly 
through the air, they are bent by it and directed towards the earth. 
Thus when the sun approaches our horizon, many of his rays which 
pass near us in an oblique direction, and which would not reach us, 
meeting the volume of air which surrounds our earth, become refracted 
by it, so as to affect our vision in such a way that we see daylight 
some time before the sun appears. 

This law of the refraction of the rays of light in the surrounding 
mass of air, is a work equally full of wisdom and goodness towards all 
the people of the earth ; and more particularly so to the inhabitants- 
of the frigid zones, who without the blessing of twilight would be for 
whole months in a state of total darkness. Perhaps this explanation 
of the origin of twilight may not be sufficiently intelligible to many 
readers. Recommending such as these to consult the works of more 
enlightened philosophers for fuller information on the subject, let us 
conclude with reflecting upon it as rational beings and as Christians. 
To do this nothing more is requisite than a willing mind and a pure 
heart, that seeks to glorify the Father of mercy. And the upright 
man who, however unlettered and deficient in learning, ever finds 
cause to bless the Creator in his works, is wiser than the philosopher 
who, intent upon explaining and investigating the phenomena of 
nature, loses sight of that great Being who created the light and 
formed the universe. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 259 

JULY XVIII. 

RURAL PLEASURES. 

Come, and let us enjoy those pleasures which are only tasted by 
the wise. The pure light of the sun invites us into the fields, where 
an innocent and refined joy awaits us. Let us walk into some flowery 
valley, and sing a hymn of praise to our Creator. 

See the breath of the zephyr gently playing upon yon hawthorn 
bush : where the little songsters are hopping from bough to bough, 
their sprightly eyes beaming joy, and their soft melody warbling 
harmonious love ! 

Ye tufted groves, ye valleys, and ye mountains, so peculiarly 
favoured with the gifts of summer, how your view gratifies and delights 
the pure soul! your attractions owe nothing to art, and they are more 
excellent than the proudest beauties of the garden. 

The yellow grain waves luxuriant, and invites the sickle of the 
joyful reaper. The trees crowned with leaves overshadow the hills 
and the glens; the birds rejoice in their existence; they sing their 
pleasures, and every note pours forth rapturous joy. 

Each year renews the treasures of the peaceful husbandman ; 
freedom and the smile of happiness lighten his serene countenance, 
that sp#aks a soul at ease. Remote from the iniquity, the pride, the 
baseness, and sordid cares, which enslave and render callous the hearts 
of those who herd together in cities, he rises to inhale the sweet breath 
of morning, and lies down upon his humble couch at peace with his 
God, himself, and mankind. 



JULY XIX. 

EVENING TWILIGHT. 

The evening twilight is that faint* light which after sunset con- 
tinues still to illumine our atmosphere, particularly towards the west. 
It is partly occasioned by the refraction and reflection of the sun's 
rays in our atmosphere, and in part by the proper atmosphere of the 
sun, which is known by the names of zodiacal light, which sometimes 
appears, particularly in spring, towards the evening, and in autumn, 
towards morning. When the sky is clear we may see the smallest 
stars during the twilight ; which continues from the time the sun has 
entirely disappeared till dark night, generally lasting about two hours. 
In the island of Senegal, where the nights are nearly as long as the 
days, the twilight only continues a few moments ; the interval 
between sun-set and the darkness of night being scarcely a quarter of 
an hour. Thus as soon as the sun has sunk from ten to fifteen degrees 



260 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

below the horizon, the whole country is immersed in the profoundest 
darkness. 

In our climate the shortest twilight is about the first of March and 
the eleventh of October. When the northern declination of the sun 
is such that he only passes eighteen degrees below the horizon, the 
twilight continues all night. And this is the reason that in the sum- 
mer solstice we have in these climates scarcely any night, and in the 
more northern climates they have no night at all, though the sun is 
below the horizon. This occurs, when the difference between the 
depression of the equator and the northern declination of the sun is 
less than eighteen degrees ; and takes place in the greater part of 
Germany from the 17th of May to the 25th of July. 

The advantages which we derive from twilight are very evident. 
To pass at once from broad day to dark night would be very incon- 
venient ; such a sudden change from light to darkness would hurt 
the organs of vision. The wise Author of nature has therefore pre- 
vented these inconveniences, by giving us an atmosphere which 
prevents us from losing the light suddenly, although the sun is below 
the horizon ; and thus, by means of the twilight, we pass by insensi- 
ble degrees from the light of day to the obscurity of night. 



JULY XX. 

THE EPHEMERON FLY. 

This species of insect is named ephemeron, because of its very short 
existence in the fly state. It is one of the most beautiful species of 
the small flies, and undergoes five changes. At first the egg contains 
its vital principle ; it then comes forth a small caterpillar, which is 
transformed into a chrysalis, then into a nympha, and lastly into a fly, 
which deposits its eggs upon the surface of water, where the sun's rays 
bring them to life. Each egg produces a little red worm, which 
moves in a serpentine manner. They are found in abundance, during 
the summer, in ponds and marshes ; and as soon as cold weather sets 
in, the little worm makes for itself a shell or lodging, where it passes 
the winter ; at the end of which it ceases to be a worm, and enters 
into its third state, that of a chrysalis. In this state it sleeps till spring, 
and gradually becomes a beautiful nympha, or a sort of mummy, 
something in the form of a fish. 

At the time of its metamorphosis the nympha appears inactive and 
lifeless ; in six hours the head is visible, raising itself gradually above 
the surface of the water ; the body next disengages itself slowly and 
by degrees, till at length the whole animal comes out of its shell. 
The new-born fly remains for some minutes motionless upon the 
water ; then gradually revives, and feebly shakes its wings ; then 
moves them quicker, and attempts first to walk, then to fly. As these 
insects are all hatched nearly at the same time, they are seen in 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 261 

swarms for a few hours flitting and playing upon the surface of the 
water. The male and female then unite and couple together for two 
more hours, when they again return to their sports, lay their eggs, and 
soon after die. Thus they terminate their short life in the space of a 
few hours, and the same day that saw them born witnesses their death. 

From the history of these little creatures we may learn how falla- 
cious are the opinions which we form of our lives in regard to eternity. 
Let us for a moment imagine, that one of these flies had preserved its 
life for twelve hours, and had thus arrived at the most advanced age, 
compared with its companions, most of which had died at noon. If 
this aged insect could speak about sunset, a little before its death, it 
might thus address its friends : ' I now find that the longest life must 
terminate. The period of my dissolution is at length arrived, and I 
regret it not ; my very old age is become troublesome, and I can no 
longer discover any thing new beneath the sun. All that I have seen 
in the course of my life has convinced me, that nothing here is certain 
or permanent. I have lived in the first ages of the world ; I have 
conversed with insects far superior to those of the present generation. 
I assure you that I have seen this sun, which is now so near the earth, 
in the midst of the sky. In those days his light was much more vivid 
than it now is ; and our ancestors were much more sober and virtuous 
than we are. I have outlived my contemporaries, have had large 
experience, and have witnessed many strange events. My life com- 
menced precisely when the sun rose. During countless years it ran 
its majestic course through the heavens, and every where diffused an 
intense heat ; but now that it is declining and going to set, I perceive 
clearly that the end of all things is approaching. O my friends, how 
I once fondly hoped that my life would be eternal ! What beautiful 
little eells I formed for my abode ! What hopes I founded on my 
vigour, my agility, and the strength of my constitution ; I thought 
my wings would never fail !' 

Thus might an insect, which has lived nearly twelve hours on the 
earth* moralize. And a man who has passed nearly fourscore years 
in the world may adopt similar language. The difference between 
twelve hours and eighty years being nothing in reference to eternity. 



JULY XXI. 

DIVERSITY OP ZONES. 

The figure of the earth being spherical, and having a double mo- 
tion, it necessarily follows that its different regions vary from each 
other, both as to the temperature of the air and the seasons, as well as 
with regard to the animals and plants which they produce. In certain 
countries of the globe there is but one season ; the summer continu- 
ing without cessation, and every day being as warm as the hottest of 
our summer days. These countries are situated about the middle of 



262 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

the globe, and occupy the space called the torrid zone. The most 
delicious and odoriferous fruits that nature produces grow there and 
there also she has lavished her richest treasures. In this zone the 
days and the nights are of an equal length during the greatest part 
of the year. 

There are countries, on the contrary, where an intense degree of 
cold, exceeding that of our severest winters, almost constantly pre- 
vails ; and it is only during a few weeks out of the whole year that 
there is heat enough for the few trees and herbs that are found in 
those regions to grow and become green ; but neither the trees nor the 
earth produce fruits which will nourish man ; and in these regions 
there is the greatest length of day and night, each being of several 
months' duration. 

The two temperate zones, situated between the torrid and the fri- 
gid zones, occupy the greatest part of our globe. In these countries 
there are four seasons, more or less distinct according as they ap- 
proach nearer to the torrid or to the frigid zone. These seasons are, 
the spring, when the trees and plants put forth their buds, the heat is 
moderate, and the days and nights nearly equal ; the summer, during 
which the fruits of the fields and of the trees are ripened, the heat 
powerful, and the days sensibly longer than the nights ; the autumn, 
when the fruits and the seeds fall, the grass begins to wither, the heat 
to diminish, and the days and nights to be equal ; the winter, when 
the vegetation of plants is partially or wholly suspended, the nightg 
are lengthened, and the cold is more or less intense. 

The countries of the temperate zones are so situated, that in those 
which border upon one of the sides of the torrid zone, the seasons 
occur in order quite opposite to that which obtains in the other tem- 
perate zone ; for when it is winter in the one, it is summer in the 
other. It is in these regions that nature seems to have produced the 
greatest diversity, both of animal and vegetable productions. Wine 
is peculiar to those countries, for the vine cannot be cultivated where 
either the heat or the cold is excessive. The inhabitants of these 
temperate climates enjoy advantages greater than in any other coun- 
try : for the people inhabiting the frigid zone are stupid, and of short 
stature ; those of the torrid zone are of a more feeble temperament, 
have stronger passions, and less intellectual and bodily powers, than 
the inhabitants of the temperate zones. 

However diversified the countries of the globe may be, the Creator 
has provided, by his wise arrangements, for the happiness of all their 
inhabitants. He makes each country produce that which is most 
beneficial and proper, according to the nature of the climate. A 
worm which feeds upon the leaves of the mulberry tree, spins for the 
people of the torrid zone a tissue with which they prepare the silken 
garments which they wear. And a tree, like a shrub, bears a kind 
of pod or husk, containing a very fine wool or cotton, with which 
light stuffs are manufactured. The cold countries abound with qua- 
drupeds, whose skins furnish clothing to the inhabitants of the north, 
who also enjoy extensive forests which abundantly supply them with 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 263 

fuel. The natives of the south possess in their fields and their or- 
chards the most cooling and exquisite fruits, and in such abundance 
that they are able to supply other countries with large quantities. In 
the colder regions the want of fruit is supplied by the numerous fish 
contained in the seas and the lakes, and by the numerous animals 
with which the country is inhabited : some of which, roaming wild 
in the forests, affright the neighbouring inhabitants ; but they are 
still highly valuable for their skins, and many of them as articles of 
food and convenience. 

Thus there is no country of the globe that does not receive proofs 
of the greatness and goodness of God ; no country so poor and steril 
as not to furnish its inhabitants with the means of subsistence and 
the comforts of life ; and we must every where acknowledge the 
traces of divine goodness : even the vast trackless deserts and craggy 
mountains of Asia and Africa declare it, and contain monuments of 
eternal wisdom and unbounded love. From the frozen climes of the 
north, where ice and snow for ever dwell, hymns of praise to the 
most high God rise and blend in harmonious unison with the tuneful 
incense as it ascends to heaven from the more temperate regions. 
By every tongue, language, and people, the name of God is mani- 
fested, revered, and joyfully sung : and let us, the inhabitants of a 
country peculiarly favoured by Heaven, be as distinguished among 
the nations of the earth for piety and good works, as we are for arts, 
sciences, and commerce. 



JULY XXII. 

PECULIARITIES OF THE SEA. 

Instead of looking upon the sea as an object of terror, let us con- 
sider the wonders and the benefits which it presents to us. It must 
be granted that when the waves swell into mountains, and the tem- 
pest roars, the prospect is awful ; and we must be hardy indeed not to 
consider it as a most formidable element in such times of fearful visi- 
tation, when ships, breaking from their anchors, or driven from their 
course, rush before the winds that beat upon them with ungovernable 
fury, till dismasted, and their rigging shivered in fragments, they sink 
overwhelmed with a weight of waters, or strike some sand-bank or 
shelving rock, and are at once dashed to pieces. Sometimes whirl- 
pools, or vast masses of water with a violently circular motion, whirl 
the unfortunate vessel that fate urges into their vortex, with irresist- 
ible force, till the helpless victim sinks within the tremendous gulf, 
and the cries of the unfortunate wretches are lost in the roar of the 
waves. These whirlpools are occasioned by rocks in the ocean, and 
the meeting of numerous currents and eddies : and not less danger- 
ous are the water-spouts, that the wind raises from the sea to the 
clouds ; they hover in the air high above the ocean, and the wind 



264 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

whirls them round with violence. They often burst with a great 
crash and much mischief ; for they fall upon a vessel, destroy its rig- 
ging, and sometimes sink it to the bottom. 

But it would be highly ungrateful and unjust only to consider the 
losses occasioned by the sea, without reflecting upon the magnificent 
and stupendous works of God, and that goodness which even visits 
the unfathomable depths of the ocean. The first thing which strikes 
us upon the investigation of sea-water is its saltness ; a pound of the 
water containing about two ounces of salt. Sea-salt is lighter than 
that we commonly use, and yet it is not attracted by the air, nor 
diminished by the continual influx of fresh water. The cause of the 
saltness of the sea is unknown. If it was from mountains of salt 
contained in the ocean, it would be salter in some places than in 
others, of which we have no proof, But whatever is the occasion of 
the saline property of the sea, it is absolutely necessary to accom- 
plish certain ends. It is that which preserves such a vast body of 
water from corruption, and renders it capable of supporting a greater 
weight. 

The colour of the sea also merits our attention : it is not every 
where alike. In all waters the colour of the bottom and that of the 
sky appear ; they are dark in deep abysses, white and foaming during 
a storm, silvery and gilded with reflections of the most beautiful hues 
when the last rays of the setting sun play upon the unruffled surface ; 
the colour of the sea, in addition to these, varies from numberless 
insects, marine plants, and the combination of the different substances 
which the rivers and torrents carry with them into the ocean. When 
it is calm, and not a breeze skims the surface, it sometimes glitters as 
with the most brilliant stars ; and the track of a ship cleaving the 
waves is often luminous, seeming like a river of fire. 

A well-known property of the sea is the ebbing and flowing of the 
tides.* 

The creatures which inhabit the sea are well calculated to excite 
our surprise and admiration ; we there discover a new world, and the 
number of beings which compose it is prodigious. Aquatic animals 
are not so numerous in their species as the land animals ; but they 
surpass them in size and longevity. The elephant and ostrich yield 
in bulk to the whale, the largest fish of the ocean, its length being 
often from sixty to seventy feet ; it lives as long as the oak, and no 
land animal can vie with it in length of life. If we may rely upon 
certain accounts, there are creatures in the ocean far exceeding the 
size of the whale ; as the animal called kraken, said to exist in the 
northern seas, and whose circumference is half a German league. 
Who can number the different species of animals which people the 
seas 1 Or who can determine their form, structure, size, and proper- 
ties ] How infinitely great is that God who has created the sea will 
be the conclusion of all who investigate the subject. 

It is not without the wisest reasons that the Creator has made the 

* See Reflection of Feb. 7. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 266 

ocean and the seas to occupy two-thirds of the whole globe. The seas 
were not only to form great reservoirs of water, but by means of their 
evaporation to be the sources of rain, snow, and various meteors. What 
wisdom is displayed in the connexion which the seas have with each 
other, and in their continual motion ! And it is not less wonderful 
that the bottom of the ocean is nearly of the same nature as the sur- 
face of the earth. There are found in the sea, rocks, caverns, plains, 
springs, plants, and animals ; and the islands are only the summits 
of a long chain of mountains. When we consider that the seas form 
a part of the globe the least investigated, we are disposed to believe 
that they contain many more wonders, which neither the senses nor 
the understanding of man have yet been able to penetrate, but which 
all testify the adorable wisdom and power of the Most High. To 
him then who has established the monuments of his grandeur and 
the sceptre of his glory in the ocean as upon the earth, be ascribed all 
admiration and praise ! 



JULY XXIIL 

DIFFERENT SHADES OBSERVABLE IN FLOWERS. 

With a heart beating with joyful emotions I look round and see all 
the beauties of the creation. How lovely are the tints ! how pleasing" 
their combination ! How admirable the diversity of shades ! Here the 
colours are exquisitely touched with the lightest pencil : there they 
arrest the eye by their brilliancy and deeper glow. The ground- 
colour is always such as to show the picture stretched upon it to the 
most advantage ; whilst the green surrounding the flower, or the 
shade of the leaves, gives life to the whole. 

In thus distributing and diversifying the colours, nature has pro- 
cured us the most agreeable sensations. How great and numberless 
are the works of God ; how wisely arranged ! We cannot sufficiently 
admire the grandeur of his designs, the magnitude of his views, nor 
the wisdom he employs in their execution. It is only with labour 
and incessant toil that men can accomplish any single work ; and 
after many fruitless efforts, at length sometimes succeed so as to 
imitate some one of nature's works. But the Supreme Power, the 
immortal God, in a single moment has given life to millions of beings, 
and has created them in perfection according to their different states 
and degrees. The more we examine the works of art, the more 
will their imperfections appear ; while for near six thousand years the 
works of nature, formed by the infinite hand of God, have been con- 
templated with increasing delight, without a single error being dis- 
covered in the plan, or any thing suggested that could render the 
execution more perfect. The more we investigate the works of God, 
the more their beauty delights, and their perfection pleases ; whilst 

our love and veneration for their Divine Author increases. 

23 21 



266 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

Flowers are particularly pleasing by their simplicity. One single 
element, under the forming hand of nature, assumes all this beautiful 
variety. The moisture of the earth and air insinuates itself into the 
vessels of plants, and niters through a series of transparent tubes; 
and this is the cause of all the beauties which we observe in the 
vegetable kingdom. If each colour had its particular cause, the sur- 
prise of the beholder might not be so great : but we contemplate with 
delight, and are never weary of admiring as the effect of supernal 
wisdom, a work, which, so diversified in its parts, is nevertheless 
perfectly simple as to its cause ; b)^ which we see a number of effects 
depending upon a single spring, always acting in the same manner. 

Whilst viewing with rapture the beautiful variety of colouring 
displayed in flowers, we must necessarily feel the value of that reason 
which we enjoy as beings endowed with immortality, without which 
in vain would the charms of nature unfold to our senses. With the 
light of reason we are able to know and distinguish the numberless 
beauties of flowers, to appreciate the infinitely varied blending of their 
tints, and all the delightful scenery of the meadows, valleys, forests, 
and mountains; making them contribute to our pleasures, and find- 
ing in each evident traces of an Almighty God. Father of light and 
mercy ! Parent of good ! What can we render unto thee, or how can 
we sufficiently thank thee, for that choice and pure gift of reason 
which elevates our souls from earth to heaven, and raises us from the 
nature of brutes unto the dignity of angels 1 



JULY XXIV. 

SUMMER HEAT. 

At this season of the year we generally experience the greatest 
degree of heat; though the sun, having now entered into the sign 
Leo, daily removes farther from us. When we were nearer to him the 
heat was temperate ; and now that we are farther off it is at its greatest 
degree of fervency. The reason of this is from the peculiar arrange- 
ment of our globe. The sun was lately nearer to us ; but as his rays 
had not sufficient force to penetrate deep into the earth, we only felt 
a temperate degree of heat ; but in the space of some weeks, the earth, 
and the bodies which cover it, are so much heated, that even the least 
influence of the sun produces more effect than at the beginning of 
summer, when it acted upon cold bodies. 

Some people murmur at this arrangement of nature, and complain 
of the intenseness of the heat, which renders them incapable of bear- 
ing much fatigue ; but to repine at an arrangement founded upon the 
immutable laws of nature, and consequently an inevitable effect of 
certain causes, is failing in gratitude to our Heavenly Father, by- 
censuring his government, which never fails in the end to promote 
the general welfare of the world. And to repine because one day is 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 267 

hot and another cold, one wet and another dry, bespeaks a weak head 
and a bad heart. If these heats were not sometimes to occur, how 
could the fruits which are to nourish men during the winter arrive at 
maturity ] Thus all our murmurings at the decrees of Providence, 
who always out of evil worketh good, are the offspring of folly and of 
ingratitude. Though the inhabitants of the western part of Africa, 
and particularly of Cape Verd and the island of Goree, are exposed 
during the whole year to the most intense heat, their bodies are so 
organized that they can endure it without suffering in their health ; 
and the winds continually blowing over the country temper and cool 
the air. 

And has the Creator been less bountiful to us ? Is it not from his 
tender cares that the summer nights cool the air, and produce a 
delightful freshness 1 A single night revives the languishing plants, 
gives new vigour to the enfeebled animals, and enables us to sustain 
the fatigues of the day with alacrity. Even the storms which cause so 
much fear are, in the hands of God, the means of purifying the air, 
and refreshing the creation. And we have a variety of deliciously cool- 
ing fruits, that tend to preserve our health at this season. Let us then 
no longer complain of the sun's heat, nor of the sufferings that we 
endure ; but consider them as a part of the divine plan, and as being 
alleviated by a thousand means that ought to excite our gratitude and 
adoration. 



JULY XXV. 

OP SOME REMARKABLE PROPERTIES IN ANIMALS. 

Of all parts of nature the animal kingdom presents us with the 
most curious subjects of investigation; and to the lover of natural 
history the different instincts with which animals are endowed form a 
highly interesting study. To a reflecting mind it is not merely a 
pleasing amusement ; the properties of animals cause us to look up to 
a wisdom which we cannot penetrate, and which surpasses all human 
conception. And this effect I wish to produce in my readers, by 
pointing out to them the singularities observable in certain animals. 

The manner in which birds and insects lay their eggs is worthy of 
admiration. The grasshopper, the lizard, the tortoise, and the croco- 
dile, neither trouble themselves about their eggs, nor about their young 
when hatched. They deposit their eggs in the ground, and leave 
them to be hatched by the heat of the sun's rays. Other species of 
animals, by natural instinct, lay their eggs in places where their 
young can find a sufficiency of food as soon as they are hatched. 
This instinct never deceives them. The butterfly of the herbivorous 
caterpillar will never lay her eggs upon meat, neither will the flesh- 
fly lay her eggs upon vegetables. Some species of animals have so 
much solicitude for their eggs that they carry them with them wher- 



268 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

ever they go. The spider called the wanderer carries her eggs in a 
little silken bag. When they are hatched, they range themselves in 
order upon their mother's back, who travels about with her load, and 
continues for some time to take care of them. Certain species of flies 
deposite their eggs in the bodies of living insects, or in their nests ; 
and we know that there is not a single plant that does not serve to 
lodge and feed many insects. A fly pierces the leaf of an oak, and 
deposites its eggs in the hole it has made ; the wound soon closes up, 
the part swells, and an excrescence or tuberosity appears, called a 
gall : the eggs that have been enclosed within it grow in size, and 
the insect which they produce finds in its resting-place suitable 
aliment. 

The care which animals take of their young is almost incredible ; 
and their love for them is often greater than for their own lives. How 
assiduously some quadrupeds nourish their young! When wounded, 
they cure them by licking them with their tongue ; they carry 
them from one place to another ; when dangers threaten, they 
keep near to defend and guide them. If they are carnivorous, how 
carefully their dam procures them flesh, teaches them to pursue their 
prey, to play with it when in their power, and then to tear it to 
pieces ! We cannot read without emotions of grief, and feeling sen- 
timents of horror and detestation rise in our bosoms, the account of a 
bitch, which, whilst they were dissecting alive, continually licked her 
young ones, as if to solace her affliction, and mitigate her torture by 
this maternal gratification ; and when this last consolation was denied 
by taking away her young, she uttered a piercing and most lamenta- 
ble cry. 

Some sea-animals during a storm shelter their young under their 
belly. Each species of animals has its peculiar wants and desires, 
for both of which the Creator has abundantly provided. Let us take 
for example those creatures which seek their nourishment in the wa- 
ter ; and among these the water-fowl. Nature has furnished their 
feathers with an oily matter, through which water cannot penetrate : 
by this means they do not become wet in diving, which Would im- 
pede their flying. The proportions of their bodies also differ, from 
those of other birds. Their legs are placed more behind, to enable 
them to stand up in the water, and more readily to expand their 
wings. That they may swim with ease, their feet are provided with 
webs ; to facilitate their diving, their body is peculiarly formed; and 
to enable them to seize their prey, they have a long neck and a large 
bill : in short, nature has completely formed them for their particular 
mode of living. 

The nautilus is a shell-fish something resembling the snail species; 
when they wish to ascend, they place themselves in front of their 
shell, and to render it more light, .empty out the water through an 
opening. When they wish to descend, they retire to the bottom of 
their little house, which filling with water, becomes heavy and sinks. 
If they wish to sail, they skilfully turn their shell, which becomes a 
little gondola, and they stretch out a thin light membrane, which 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 269 

swells before the wind, serving- as a sail ; and perhaps it might be this 
little nautilus that first taught men the art of sailing. 

It is the same with the actions of animals as with their structure. 
The same wisdom which has formed their body has constructed their 
limbs, and appointed them their use ; has also regulated the different 
actions that they perform, and directs them towards the end proposed 
in their creation. The brute is guided by the invisible hand of the 
Creator, and produces works which excite our admiration, and seems 
to be actuated by reason. It ceases to work when necessary, regu- 
lates its labour according to circumstances, and yet only follows cer- 
tain secret springs that make it move. It acts as a machine which 
cannot judge of the work which it executes ; and is directed by the 
adorable wisdom of the Creator, who has placed each insect, as he has 
each planet, in a sphere from which it cannot deviate. When I ob- 
serve then the different instincts and industry of animals, my soul is 
filled with veneration, and I seem to see the immediate operation of a 
Divine Power, which is only visible by its wonderful effects ; and who- 
ever attentively considers the different works of nature, must every 
where discover the evidences of God, and abundant cause to love and 
admire his sempiternal wisdom and goodness. 



JULY XXVI. 

THE HUMAN COUNTENANCE. 

The external appearance of the human body at once declares the 
superiority of man over all living creatures. His face directed to- 
wards the heavens, prepares us to expect that dignified expression 
which is so legibly inscribed upon his features ; and from the coun- 
tenance of man we may judge of his important destination and high 
prerogatives. 

While the soul enjoys undisturbed tranquillity, the features of the 
face are calm and composed ; but when agitated by emotions, and 
tossed by contending passions, the countenance becomes a living pic- 
ture, in which every sensation is depicted with equal force and deli- 
cacy. Each affection of the mind has its particular impression, and 
every change of countenance denotes some secret emotion of the 
heart. The eye may in particular be regarded as the immediate 
organ of the soul ; as a mirror, in which the most tumultuous pas- 
sions and the gentlest affections are refle cted without disguise. Hence 
it may be called with propriety the true interpreter of the soul, and 
organ of the understanding. The colour and motions of the eye con- 
tribute much to mark the character of the countenance. The human 
eyes are in proportion nearer to one another than those of any other 
living creatures ; the space between the eyes of most of these being 
so great as to prevent their seeing an object with both their eyes at 
the same time, unless it is placed at a great distance. 
23* 



270 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

Next to the eyes, the eye-brows tend to fix the character of the 
countenance. Their colour renders them particularly striking ; they 
form the shade of the picture, which thus acquires greater force of co- 
louring. The eye-lashes, when long and thick, give beauty and addi- 
tional charms to the eye. No animals, but men and monkeys, have 
both eye-lids ornamented with eye-lashes : other creatures having 
them only on the lower eye-lid. The eye-brows are elevated, de- 
pressed, and contracted, by means of the muscles upon the forehead. 
The lids are of use to defend the eye* and prevent the cornea from 
becoming dry. 

The forehead forms a very considerable part of the face, and when 
well formed adds much to its beauty : it should neither project much, 
nor be quite flat ; neither be very large, nor yet small ; fine hair adds 
much to its beauty. 

The nose is the most prominent and least moveable part of the 
face ; hence it adds more to the beauty than the expression of the 
countenance. The mouth and lips are on the contrary extremely 
susceptible of changes ; and if ^he eyes express the passions of the 
soul, the mouth seems more peculiarly to correspond with the emo- 
tions of the heart. The rosy bloom of the lips, and the ivory white 
of the teeth, complete the charms of the human face. 

Without considering the several uses of these parts, we have ample 
testimony of their divine origin ; and in contemplating the beauty of 
the human countenance, our admiration increases in thinking of that 
Being by whose wisdom and goodness we are so exquisitely formed. 
Whilst we examine each feature, let us meditate upon those high pre- 
rogatives which we enjoy over the animal world, and upon the noble 
purposes for which we are created. Our eye commands the face of 
nature, and glances from earth to heaven ; our lips dance to the mu- 
sic of hymns in praise of our God ; and every feature of the mind- 
illumined face displays that goodness of heart, and purity and intelli- 
gence of soul, which amiable modesty, retiring from the gaze of men, 
in vain attempts to conceal. 



JULY XXVII. 

GRAVITY OF BODIES. 

All bodies possess a force which acts at all times, in all places, and 
in all directions. If a body attempts to move more forcibly towards 
one point than to another, it is said to gravitate towards that point. 
Experience teaches us, that bodies have a tendency to descend ; or 
that if they are from the surface of the earth without being supported 
they fall down perpendicularly. It is not in the body itself that we 
must seek the cause of its gravity ; for a body which falls remains in 
the state in which it was first placed, till some external cause changes, 
its direction. It is equally impossible that the air should be the cause 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 271 

of this gravity ; for, possessing weight itself, it would rather retard 
the velocity of falling bodies. We must, therefore, look for the cause 
elsewhere. Perhaps the opinion approaching nearest to truth, is that 
which supposes the earth has the property of attracting bodies placed 
at a certain distance. Or perhaps we may impute the cause of gra- 
vity to some foreign matter distributed through all bodies. 

But though we cannot exactly ascertain its cause, nothing is more 
clear than the advantages which result from it. Without the power 
of gravity we should not be able to move as we do. Our centre of 
gravity is about the middle of our bodies ; when we raise the right 
foot, we must bear this centre upon our left. If we bend our body 
forward, we are in danger of falling ; but, by extending our right 
leg, we prevent our fall and make a step. Thus our walking is in 
some measure a continual series of interrupted fails. Hence, when 
we ascend a hill, we bend our body forward ; and backward when 
we descend. In carrying a burden on our shoulders we incline for- 
wards, and lean back when we carry it in our arms. All this pro- 
ceeds from the laws of gravity, which regulate the motions of ani- 
mals, when they walk, swim, or fly. 

The same laws are also extended to the heavenly bodies. The 
sun attracts the planets, and each planet attracts its satellites ; or, 
what is the same thing, the planets gravitate towards the sun, and 
the satellites towards the planets ; for a body made to revolve in a 
circle would always fly off from the centre in a right line, if it met 
with no obstruction. The planets revolve in their orbits with the 
greatest velocity. It seems as if a motion as rapid as that of the moon 
should whirl her from us to an immense distance in the immeasurable 
space, if there was not force which continually impelled her towards 
our globe, and which was strong enough to counteract the force tend- 
ing to propel her from the earth. And this force is the gravitation of 
the moon towards the earth. If our earth was either lighter or heavier 
than it is, it would approach too near to, or fly off too far from, the 
sun : in the one case, nobody could support the heat ; in the other 
cold would be equally unbearable : either every thing upon the globe 
would be consumed by heat, or frozen by excess of cold. 

Here again we have fresh cause to admire and adore that Wisdom, 
which, by means apparently so simple, regulates the motions of ani- 
mals, and wields the vast globes that roll in the firmament. By the 
laws of gravity alone the smallest particles of dust are prevented from 
being lost, either from our earth, or from any of the globes which 
continually revolve around us. We here see the greatness of that 
power and wisdom which produce the most astonishing effects by 
means which appear to us the most insignificant. 



272 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

JULY XXVIII. 

MANY EFFECTS IN NATURE PROCEED FROM THE SAME CAUSE. 

Universal nature is an endless chain of causes and effects ; and as 
all parts of the universe bear a relation to each other, every motion 
and every event depends upon a preceding cause, and itself becomes 
the cause of effects which follow its action. The whole constitution 
of the world is well calculated to convince us that it is not chance, 
but a divine Wisdom surpassing all conception, which first erected 
this wonderful edifice, impressed motion upon its different parts, and 
determined the great chain of events to depend upon and succeed 
each other with order and regularity. It is not difficult to acquire 
this degree of knowledge ; for though our acquaintance with nature 
is very limited, we yet are able to perceive that many important 
effects depend upon causes evident to human intelligence. Asa proof 
of this we may instance many natural phenomena. 

What a variety of effects are produced by the heat of the sun ! It 
not only contributes to the life of an innumerable multitude of ani- 
mals, but also to the vegetation of plants ; to the ripening of seeds 
and fruits ; the fluidity of water ; the elevation of vapours ; and to 
the formation of clouds, without which we should have neither rain 
nor dew. 

The air also is so constituted as to answer various ends. By means 
of this element, animals are preserved alive, and all the vital func- 
tions performed with vigour. It is by means of the air that the fire 
burns, and combustion is supported ; that sound is conveyed in undu- 
lations to the ear ; that winged creatures fly from place to place ; and 
that man traverses the vast extent of the ocean. It is the air which 
supports the clouds, till, becoming too heavy, they fall in rain ; it ig 
that which prolongs our day by means of the twilight ; and without 
air the gifts of speech and of hearing would be useless. All these, 
and many other advantages, depend upon the air in which we live 
and breathe. Is not then this wonderful element, which surrounds 
our globe, and is too subtile for our eyes to behold, and yet so strong 
that nothing can resist its force, a most evident proof of the wisdom 
of God % 

The power of gravitation existing in all bodies, preserves the moun- 
tains in their places, restrains the ocean within his depths, and keeps 
the earth within her prescribed orbit ; supports every created being in 
its proper place in nature ; and prescribes to the stars of heaven the 
course they are to observe. 

Who can enumerate the various uses of water 1 It serves to dilute, 
to soften, to dissolve, and mix, many substances which we could not 
otherwise use. It constitutes a most wholesome beverage, is the 
chief nourisher of plants, sets in motion mills and other machines, is 
the habitation of fish, and bears upon its surface treasures from the 
four quarters of the globe. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 273 

How varied and numerous are the effects of fire ! And it is not 
only in the natural world that we see many diversified effects pro- 
ceed from the same cause ; in the moral world we also often see a 
single disposition of the mind produce effects not less various. Let us 
take for example the natural inclination which prompts us to love our 
fellow-creatures. From this are derived the solicitude of parents for 
their children ; social union ; the bonds of amity ; patriotism ; good- 
ness in those >who govern, and fidelity in those who obey. Thus a 
single propensity keeps each individual in the circle prescribed for 
him ; becomes the bond of civil society ; and is the principle of vir- 
tuous actions, laudable enterprises, and innocent recreations. All 
this furnishes the most evident proof that the world is not made by 
accident, nor the materials which compose it put together by chance, 
without relation or connexion between each other ; but, on the con- 
trary, that it forms a regular whole, which the divine Power has or- 
dered with infinite wisdom ; and in every phenomenon of the visible 
world some rays of this ineffable wisdom blaze forth, and declare the 
unutterable goodness of God. 



JULY XXIX. 

OF SOME DISEASES OF PLANTS. 

Vegetables are subject to many diseases. Sometimes they are 
covered with a white matter which sticks to them like dust, and is 
called mildew. This does not happen from insects, as is commonly 
believed ; but from a stagnation in the juices, and a beginning of 
corruption, which attracts insects, and invites them to deposite their 
eggs. The stagnation of the juices is the first stage of corruption ; 
and it is supposed that that alone is sufficient to attract insects, be- 
cause they are seen to swarm by millions as soon as, from whatever 
cause, natural or artificial, the circulation of juices in a tree is stopped. 
Hence the feeblest trees, and those exposed in unfavourable situations, 
are the most subject to this malady. If insects were really the cause 
of it, it could not be produced by art ; whereas, if a tree is purposely 
wounded, or deprived of the care it requires, it will become subject to 
the mildew. And upon this tree, so weakened, immediately are seen 
thousands of insects, whilst the neighbouring trees are free from them. 
Hence this corruption is no more owing to insects, than is the decay 
of animal substances ; we must look for the cause of it in the ob- 
struction of the juices, which may be occasioned by many circum- 
stances. 

A matter resembling dew, but which is glutinous, sweet, and 
acrid, frequently destroys plants. It has been thought that insects 
conveyed this glutinous juice into vegetables, or that bees had depo- 
sited honey upon them. But frequent observations have demonstrated 
that this matter falls from the air in form of dew. In certain coun- 

2K 



274 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

tries it is deposited in small drops upon a great variety of different 
vegetables ; and in the space of a single night it will cover almost all 
the leaves of a long row of trees, upon which it had not been before 
perceived. Perhaps this dew may be formed from the exhalations 
which arise from flowers and blossoming trees, out of which the bees 
extract their honey ; and if more is deposited in one place than in 
another, it is owing to the direction of the wind. Perhaps also it may 
be the effect of some disease* in the plants from their juices being 
vitiated ; for it is the branches, leaves, bushes, and weakest trees, 
that are most subject to this disease. It is also remarked, that the 
leaves upon which this species of dew falls become spotted and black, 
and soon spoil ; most probably this substance is the cause of it. 

Here we find evident traces of divine Wisdom ; for, since insects 
require nourishment, it is advantageous to us that they are directed 
to obtain it from those vegetables which, being already spoiled, are 
become useless, if not prejudicial to us. And this is a new proof of 
the particular provision which God made for man when he established 
the world. It is owing to this arrangement that these insects take 
nothing that is necessary for our support ; but on the contrary attach 
themselves to that which would be destructive to us. In the wise 
economy of Nature, each plant, tree, and animal, serves for the sup- 
port of different creatures. 



JULY XXX. 

MEANS OF SUBSISTENCE WHICH NATURE PROVIDES FOR ANIMALS. 

It is a great proof of the goodness and supreme power of the Al- 
mighty, that there is every where provided a sufficiency of aliment for 
all the living creatures with which the world is filled. It is not 
indeed wonderful that the countries which lie within the temperate 
zones should supply their inhabitants with a sufficiency of nourish- 
ment ; but that this should be the case in all places, even where we 
had least reason to expect it, and that the necessary provisions never 
fail to so many species of animals, can only be attributed to the cares 
of a beneficent and all- wise Providence. He has proportioned the 
supply of provisions to the number and wants of the animals which 
are to consume them. In most places there is a superabundance ; 
but this profusion is not so great as to cause the alimentary matter to 
spoil or decay, for that would be prejudicial to the world. 

Among the many articles of nourishment, those which are most 
useful and necessary are generally found in the greatest abundance, 
and multiply the most readily. As there are a great number of ani- 
mals which only live upon herbs, the meadows abound with them 
and the most wholesome plants, that grow spontaneously without the 
least culture, and easily resist the inclemency of the air. It is also 
highly worthy of attention, that corn, which is such a great source of 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 275 

food for man, can be cultivated with so little trouble, and increase so 
astonishingly. 

It is also a wise regulation of the Creator, that the taste of animals 
is so varied, that some love to feed upon herbs and corn, some upon 
flesh, others upon insects, &c. ; some are content with a little, others 
are very rapacious. If all species of animals had an inclination for 
the same kind of food, the earth would soon become incapable of 
satisfying their wants, and would presently be converted into a vast 
desert. The diversity of taste then that we find among animals is 
a certain proof that it is not by accident that they prefer any particu- 
lar kind of food, but from a particular instinct implanted by nature, 
which leads them to those aliments best adapted to them. By this 
means all the productions of the earth and of the sea are properly dis- 
tributed ; not only every thing which breathes is amply provided for, 
but those substances which, becoming putrid, might be prejudicial, 
have their particular uses. For the wholesome plants would perish ; 
the carcasses of birds, fish, and animals, would exhale the most poi- 
sonous effluvia ; but that it has pleased the all-wise Creator to implant 
in animals an inclination for these different substances, which furnish 
them with an agreeable aliment. 

Nutritious matters offer themselves spontaneously to the greater 
part of animals ; they must therefore possess great skill in discern- 
ing them, and must employ great precaution in their choice. They 
are so constituted, that what is highly nourishing to one species, is 
injurious and sometimes poisonous to another. From the experiments 
and observations of botanists, it appears that oxen eat of two hundred 
and seventy-six species of grass, and reject two hundred and eighteen; 
that goats eat of four hundred and forty-nine, and leave untouched 
one hundred and twenty-six ; that sheep feed upon three hundred 
and eighty-seven, and there are one hundred and forty-one which 
they will not feed upon ; that the horse eats of two hundred and 
sixty-two, and refuses two hundred and twelve. Some animals are 
obliged to go to a great distance in search of nourishment; and obtain 
it with much labour, by digging for it in the earth, or collecting it 
from various parts where it is thinly scattered. Some choose the dead 
of night to satisfy their hunger in safety ; others obtain their food by 
separating the grain from its husks, bruising them if hard ; and some 
swallow small stones to assist them in digesting. Many would pe- 
rish if the} r did not carry provisions into their nests against a future 
time of need. Others take their prey by having recourse to wiles 
and cunning, by laying snares, and by digging holes in the ground ; 
and some pursue their prey in the air, in water, and upon land. 

The more diversified is the food of animals, and their manner of 
procuring it, the more admirable is the wisdom and goodness of God 
displayed in their preservation. Let us then reflect upon the glorious 
perfections of our Heavenly Father ; .for the occasions wmich we find 
to magnify his name are more frequent than the day. 



276 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

JULY XXXI. 

MEDITATION UPON THE WORKS OF NATURE. 

O Father, Creator of the universe, and Preserver of every living" 
creature, how great is thy majesty ! How many are the wonders 
which thou unfoldest to the eyes of man ! Thy hand has extended 
the heavens and planted them with stars. To-day I see the sun 
animate nature, and blaze above the horizon in meridian splendour ; 
but perhaps, ere to-morrow's dawn, to me no more will the groves, 
the meadows, and the- valleys, repeat the melody of the birds. I feel 
that I am mortal ; my strength fades like the grass of the field, and 
withers like the falling autumnal leaf; the strongest among us 
knows not how soon the awful summons shall be heard, Man, return 
to dust ! 

When laid low in the grave, where darkness and mournful silence 
reign, when the worms are gnawing our once fair bodies, what will 
remain to us of our earthly possessions 1 Will not they be all lost to 
us, though our utmost desires had been gratified, and our cup of hap- 
piness during life had been full 1 

How foolish it is to be attached to the perishing things of this world ! 
to aspire after great riches ; to be ambitious of honours, vain and 
transitory ; and, suffering ourselves to be dazzled and misled by the 
false lustre of their meretricious charms, exchange our innocence and 
peace of mind, for envy, pride, and deceit. 

If, too greedy in our desires, we have pursued the phantom of wealth 
beyond the just limits of moderation, let us humble ourselves before 
our God, and receive that chastisement his wisdom shall direct. 

Man, blinded by his pride and his presumption, would wish to pre- 
scribe laws to his Creator, and dares to blame the decrees of eternal 
Wisdom. But the all-powerful and benevolent Father and Friend of 
man loves him better than he does himself, by refusing to giant his 
foolish desires. 

When the morning opens to our rejoiced sight, the green fields and 
budding flowers glistening with dew, and the wings of the night have 
cooled the burning summer heat, wisdom cries out to us, Why will 
you cherish in your bosoms gloomy thoughts of futurity, and give 
yourselves up to doubts and heart-consuming care ? Is not God our 
Father, and are we not his children 1 Will not He who made us also 
provide for us] Our existence is not confined to this earth ; it extends 
to heaven. Our present life is but for a moment, and the greatest 
earthly happiness is no more than a dream ; we are designed for ano- 
ther state, that of immortal beings. 

The contemplation of immortality elevates our souls above the 
earth and all present things, beyond the universe and all the heavenly 
spheres, unto the everlasting Fountain of glory and light. 

When seduced by false pleasures from the path of virtue, may sen- 
timents like these awaken our hearts to a sense of our duty, and a 






STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 277 

conviction that true pleasure only can arise from a consciousness that 
we are employing our time and our talents in the promotion of truth 
and of all good ! The ill-acquired honours of the wicked soon pe- 
rish ; and the bitterness of anguish succeeds their short-lived glory, 
and false, fleeting, mistaken pleasures. 

We are but as pilgrims journeying through a country, at the ut- 
most boundary of which we see the rays of glory emanating ; and 
nothing short of this should possess our hearts : unallured by the plea- 
sures, and undazzled by the splendour, the riches, and the honours, 
that would seduce us from the true and only road to immortal felicity, 
we should steadily hold on our course, in the confidence of integrity, 
of virtue, and of ability ; praying to the Almighty God, who with 
pleasure and parental love watches over us, that in the infinity of his 
goodness he will be pleased to soften our hearts, that they may not 
become hardened by the scenes we are obliged to pass through, in our 
mortal career, and that all our thoughts may be purified by charity 
and religion ; that we may not covet outward grandeur,. but be con- 
tent with our condition and allotment, faithful in the discharge of 
every duty, and worthy the name of Christians. 



AUGUST I. 

VARIETIES OF STATURE IN MEN. 

The height of the human body varies considerably ; the ordinary- 
measure of stature is from five to six feet. Some inhabitants of the 
northern countries and the borders of the Icy Sea are not five feet 
high. The shortest ' men yet known inhabit the mountains in the 
interior of the island of Madagascar, being scarcely four feet high. 
Many of these diminutive people came originally from countries 
where the inhabitants are of the ordinary size ; and the chief cause 
of their degeneracy must be attributed to the nature of the climate 
which they now inhabit. The excessive cold that prevails during the 
greatest part of the year, causes the vegetables and animals there to 
be less than in other climates ; and why may not man be affected by 
the same circumstances? 

On the other hand, there are countries whose inhabitants are of the 
most gigantic size. The most celebrated of these are the Patago- 
nians, who dwell near the Straits of Magellan. They are said to be 
from eight to ten feet high. ' And it certainly seems by no means im- 
possible that there should exist men greater in stature than Europe- 
ans ; besides the traces we meet of them in the histories and monu- 
ments of antiquity, we have sometimes seen in our climate men above 
six feet and a half in height, perfectly well formed, healthy, and ca- 
pable of every exertion and labour which demands force and agility. 
Adorable Creator ! thy wisdom is also evident in the varieties of the 
human form. All that thou hast created, whether in the animal ve- 
24 



278 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

getable, or mineral kingdom, has been formed by certain rules, and or- 
ganized by certain laws ; whilst every thing bears thy image, and is 
strongly impressed with thy power. 



AUGUST II. 

VEGETATION OF THE STALK OP WHEAT. 

The wheat-plant is composed of the principal stem, of the stalks 
growing from its sides, and of the branches which proceed from these. 
The stalk begins to form as soon as four green leaves appear. If the 
little plant is then taken, and the lower leaf carefully separated, a 
small white point may be seen, which in time becomes a stalk, and 
the root appears under the first leaf. The white point springs from a 
knot, opens out into green leaves, and pushes from t\\e side a new 
point. However, these different points, and the stalks which grow 
from them, are not all designed to bear fruit ; many of them decay 
and perish. When the principal stem has acquired some growth, a 
considerable revolution takes place in the plant, and all the sap is 
then employed in the formation of flowers and fruit. 

But before that, and when the plant begins to vegetate, four or six 
leaves are seen to form and spring from as many knots. These pre- 
pare the nutritive juice for the ear, which is seen very diminutive in 
spring upon opening the stalk through the middle. When the plant 
begins to bud, the two upper leaves of the stalk join together, em- 
brace the ear of corn, and protect it till it has acquired some degree of 
consistence. Before that, all the knots, particularly the two last, 
though soft, are closely connected, leaving very little space between 
them. But, as soon as the ear has pierced its coverings, these parts 
lengthen, and the leaves give them all the juices they contain. The 
knots gradually become harder, and the lower leaves dry up ; the 
juices which nourished them are then only employed in supporting 
the stem. 

After all these preparations, the blossom appears. It is a little 
white tube, very delicate, and grows from the seed leaf. Several 
more small stalks surround this bag. They are at first yellowish, 
then brown, and just before they fade and fall off become black. The 
principal use of these stalks is to nourish a little cluster in the bag of 
grains. When the corn has ceased to blossom, we see grains which 
contain the germ, and which arrive at perfection long before the fa- 
rinaceous matter appears. This matter gradually increases, whilst 
the sap collects round an extremely fine and delicate part, resembling 
down. This substance, which exists after the blossoms, serves to 
support the opening of the great tube passing through the corn. The 
fruit begins to ripen as soon as it has attained its full size ; at that 
time the stalk and the ear become white, and the green colour of the 
grain changes into yellow or light brown. The grains, however, are 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 279 

still very soft, and their farina contains much moisture ; but when the 
corn has arrived at maturity, they become hard and dry. 

We cannot sufficiently admire the wisdom manifested in the struc- 
ture and vegetation of corn ; those who are accustomed to reflect will 
discover it in the least stalk. Even the leaves which surround it be- 
fore it has attained its full growth, have their use : and they seem to 
be placed round the stalk for the same reason that an architect raises 
a scaffolding round a building he is about to construct, and when it is 
finished removes the scaffolding. For when the corn has acquired 
its full size and strength, the leaves which defended it dry and perish. 
It is some months before the ear ventures to appear and expose itself 
to the inclemency of the weather ; but as soon as all the preparations 
for the flowers and fruit are ready, it appears in a few days. The 
stalk and the ears of corn are both constructed with equal intelligence. 
Merciful and beneficent Father ! may all those who now walk 
through the fields of wheat, and joyfully behold the waving corn, ex- 
perience all the sentiments of love and gratitude which thy liberal 
bounty ought to excite in their hearts ; and may they unceasingly 
endeavour to imitate, and by their actions deserve, such goodness 1 



AUGUST III. 

DOG-DAYS. 

The sun has not only a diurnal motion, which carries him from east 
to west, and which occasions the revolution of day and night ; he 
seems also to have another sensible motion from the west to the east : 
in consequence of which, at the expiration of three hundred and sixty- 
five days, he is near the same stars from which he was separated for 
six months, and again approached during the other six months of the 
year. 

Hence ancient astronomers have divided the seasons by the stars 
which the sun meets in his annual course. This course they divided 
into twelve constellations ; these are the twelve signs of the zodiac, 
which they called the twelve houses of the sun, because he appears 
to remain a month in each of them. 

The summer season begins when the sun enters into the sign 
Cancer, which happens on the twenty -first or twenty-second of June. 
It is then that he attains his highest degree of elevation above the 
horizon, and that his rays fall most directly upon us ; and at this 
juncture the summer heat begins, which becomes more intense in 
the ensuing month, as our earth becomes more heated by the burning 
rays of the sun. Hence it happens, that the month of July and a 
part of August are generally the hottest portion of the year ; and 
experience has proved, that it is from the twentieth of July to the 
twentieth of August that the greatest degree of heat prevails. Of all 
the stars with which the sun comes in conjunction, the dog-star is the 



280 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

most brilliant ; lost in the sun's rays, it disappears from us for a month, 
(as is the case with all the stars that the sun meets in his course,) 
and the month in which it is not seen is the time called the dog-days. 

Those observations would be of little importance, if they did not 
tend to combat a prejudice deeply rooted in the minds of many people. 
An ancient tradition attributes the heat experienced at this time to 
the influence of the dog-star upon the earth. But this opinion is 
absurd ; because the occultation of the dog-star in the sun's rays does 
not always take place at the time we call the dog-days. These days, 
properly speaking, do not begin till the end of August, and termi- 
nate about the twentieth of September. And as the dog-star, or Sirius, 
always advances farther, in time it will reach the months of October 
and November, and at last to January ; so that the most intense cold 
of the year will prevail in the dog-days. 

When we consider this we shall perceive that it is impossible that 
this star shall occasion the great heats which we experience. When 
therefore in the supposed dog-days every thing is languishing or 
consumed, the waters dried up, and the springs fail, matters subject to 
fermentation become sour, animals are attacked with madness, and 
men with various maladies ; it is not because a star is concealed 
behind the sun, but from the excessive heat of the weather, occasioned 
by another cause. 

It is time then to renounce a prejudice so childish and absurd. To 
believe that certain figures, which the imagination forms in the sky, 
can have any influece upon our earth, or upon the health or the reason 
of man, bespeaks a great want of judgment. It is not the stars, but 
ourselves, that we ought to accuse of all the evils which we suffer. 
Can we believe that an all-pure and good Being, who governs the 
universe, has created any thing in the heavens or in the earth for the 
torment and misery of his creatures ? This would be believing in an 
inevitable fatality ; which we cannot admit of, if we acknowledge 
a Creator whose essence is wisdom and goodness. Let us then, 
instead of being guilty of this error, glorify our God, and assure to 
ourselves tranquillity and peace of mind, in the belief that we are 
under the peculiar care of a superintending Providence, without whose 
permission not even a hair of our heads can perish. 



AUGUST IV. 

SLEEP. 



People fall asleep with more or less rapidity, according to their 
natural constitution and present state of health. But whether sleep 
arrives soon or late, it always comes in the same manner ; and the 
preceding circumstances are the same in all men. 

The first thing that happens when we begin to sleep, is the stupor 
of our senses ; which, no longer receiving external impressions, fall 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 281 

into a state of inactivity. Hence it follows that the attention dimi- 
nishes, and at length ceases ; the memory becomes confused ; the 
passions are calmed ; and the connexion between our thoughts and 
reasoning faculty is interrupted. As long as we feel the influence of 
sleep, it is only the first degree of it ; we may then be said to be in a 
dozing state. When we are really asleep, we have no longer that 
consciousness and reflection which depends upon the exercise of 
memory ; our eyelids wink, open, and shut, of themselves ; the head 
reclines in an easy position ; and when our sleep is quite profound, all 
voluntary functions are suspended; but the vital functions, and all 
those which do not depend upon the will, are still performed with 
vigour. A sweet sleep refreshes and repairs our exhausted nature ; 
and we rise from our slumbers with increased energy, capable of again 
renewing the fatigue of the day. 

All these circumstances are well calculated to make us acknow- 
ledge the goodness of God, so mercifully extended to us in his tender 
care to procure us the blessing of sleep. We ought to be still more 
thankful, when we consider the effects of sleep being ushered in by a 
complete suspension of activity in the senses ; and that it steals upon 
us unawares, and in a way not to be resisted. The first of these cir- 
cumstances renders it more sound and refreshing ; the other makes 
it an unavoidable necessity. And how wisely is it ordered, that by 
the spontaneous closing of the eyelid the eye is defended when we 
are not able to preserve it from the dangers to which it would have 
been subjected ! 

Let therefore the hour in which we dispose ourselves to enjoy the 
sweet influence of sleep be always preceded by thanksgivings to our 
Heavenly Father. Let us not only bless him because the days happily 
succeed each other, but also because he has so constituted us, that a 
state in which for a space we repose from the cares, the troubles, and 
the vexations of the world, is to us a state of refreshment, in which 
we require new force and gain accumulated vigour. Let reflections 
like these be the last which take place before sleep surprises and locks 
up our soul in silken fetters ; and when morning dissolves the charm, 
let love and gratitude to our God be the first emotion of our heart. 



AUGUST V. 

DIVISIBILITY OF MATTER. 

To be convinced of the infinite divisibility of bodies, we have only 
to walk into a garden, and inhale the sweet incense that rises from 
a thousand flowers. How inconceivably small must be the odoriferous 
particles of a carnation, which diffuse themselves through a whole 
garden, and every where meet our sense of smell ! If this is not 
sufficient, let us consider some other objects of nature ; as, for instance, 
one of those silk threads, the work of a poor worm. Suppose this 
24* . 2 L 



283 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

thread is three hundred and sixty feet long-, it weighs hut a single 
grain. Again, consider into how many perceptible parts a length of 
three hundred and sixty feet can be divided. A single inch may be 
divided into six hundred parts, each as thick as a hair, and conse- 
quently perfectly visible. Hence a single grain of silk can be divided 
into at least two millions five hundred and ninety-two thousand parts, 
each of which may be seen without the help of a microscope. And 
as every one of these parts may be again divided into several more 
millions of parts, till the division is carried beyond the reach of thought, 
it is evident that this progression may be infinite. The last particles 
which are no longer divisible by human industry must still have 
extension, and be consequently susceptible of division, though we are 
no longer able to effect it. 

Again, if we examine the animal kingdom, we shall discover still 
further proofs of the infinite divisibility of matted. Pepper has been 
put into a glass of water, and on looking through a microscope, a 
multitude of animalcules were seen in the water, a thousand million 
times less than a grain of sand. How inconceivably minute then must 
be the feet, muscles, vessels, nerves, and organs of sense, in these 
animals ! And how small their eggs and their young ones, and the 
fluids which circulate in them ! Here the imagination loses itself, 
our ideas become confused, and we are incapable of giving form to 
such very small particles. 

What still more claims our attention is, that the more we magnify, 
by means of glasses, the productions of nature, the more perfect and 
beautiful do they appear ; whilst with works of art it is generally quite 
contrary ; for, when these are seen through a microscope, we find 
them rough, coarse, and imperfect, though executed by the most able 
artists, and with the utmost care. 

Thus the Almighty has impressed even upon the smallest atom 
the stamp of his infinity. The most subtile body is as a world, in 
which millions of parts unite, and are arranged in the most perfect 
order. What astonishing wisdom is that which operates with as much 
order and perfection in the minutest as in the largest works ! How 
infinite that power which has brought out of nothing such a multitude 
of different bodies ! And how gracious is that goodness which so richly 
displays itself in the most minute productions, seeing that each of 
them has its perfection and use. 

Considerations like these tend to make us feel the limits of our 
capacity ; the smallest insect, the least grain of dust, may convince 
us that there are thousands of things of which we are ignorant, and 
cannot explain. Let him who boasts of his talents attempt to enu- 
merate the parts of which the body of an animal, a million of times 
less than a grain of sand, is composed. Let him try to determine 
how minute one of those rays of light must be, when several mil- 
lions of them can pass through an opening not larger than the eye of 
a needle. His ideas will soon be confused ; and he will be obliged to 
acknowledge his ignorance, and confess the narrow limits of his capa- 
city. How then can we be proud of our knowledge, and have the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 283 

presumption to blame the decrees of Providence, or dispute the ar- 
rangements he has made in nature 1 It is our duty, and even our 
glory, to acknowledge our iguorance, and in all humility bow before 
the infinite God. 



AUGUST VL 

EXTERNAL STRUCTURE OF INSECTS. 

Men in general are too apt to judge those animals only worth 
their attention which are most remarkable for their bulk. The horse, 
the bull, the elephant, and other large animals, seem to attract our 
attention, whilst we scarcely condescend to regard those innumerable 
multitudes of small insects which fill the air, the vegetables, and the 
dust. How many insects do we trample upon] How many cater- 
pillars do we destroy 1 And how many flies buzz around us without 
exciting our curiosity, or any other thought than how to deprive them 
of life ! But let us never forget, that the same wisdom and power is 
manifested in the structure of the meanest worm, as in that of the 
lion or the elephant 

The bodies of the greater part of insects are composed of several 
rings, which close on each other, and have a share in all the motions 
of the animal. The essential characteristic which distinguishes in- 
sects from other animals is, that they have no solid bones. And 
much wisdom is manifested in this part of their formation ; the mo- 
tions which are common to all insects, the manner in which they are 
obliged to seek their nourishment, and the changes to which they are 
subjected, could not be so easily performed, if, instead of those flexible 
rings, which separate from and approach nearer one another as the 
animal wills, their bodies had been connected and strengthened by 
bones. 

It is observable in several insects that they have the power of con- 
tracting or enlarging their heads at pleasure ; that they can elongate 
or shorten them, conceal or make them appear, as their inclination or 
necessity urges. There are others, whose heads always preserve the 
same form. The mouth of insects is generally provided with a sort of 
teeth, or with a trunk. This disposition of the head is necessary, 
both on the account of the aliments which the insects feed upon, and 
because of the dangers to which they are exposed. 

Many insects have not the faculty of vision ; but this is compen- 
sated fey their more exquisite feeling, or some other sense. They 
have two kinds of eyes : those which are bright and smooth are 
usually very few in number ; but those eyes which resemble net- 
work or shagreen, and of which the cornea is cut in angles, are ex- 
tremely numerous ; there are sometimes thousands of them, and as 
they are not moveable, this defect is supplied by their number and 
position. The antenna% or horns, with which most insects are pro- 



284 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

vided, are of particular use to them ; they are extended before the 
body when it moves, and feeling- out the way, not only inform the 
creature of the dangers which threaten it, but also enable it to disco- 
ver the aliments best suited to its nature. 

The legs of insects are either scaly or membranous : the former 
move by means of several joints ; and the others, which are softer, 
move in all directions. Sometimes both these species of legs are 
found in the same insect. Some insects have several hundred feet, 
but their motion is not accelerated by them. 

The variety observable in the form and constitution of the limbs of 
insects is almost infinite ; and the lives of many men would scarcely 
suffice to describe the different figures of this minute part of the cre- 
ation. How curiously must the legs of those insects be constructed 
which fasten on smooth and polished surfaces ! How elastic the legs 
of those which leap ! and how strong must those be which dig in the 
ground ! Two or four wings are placed in the middle of the body. 
Some of them are as transparent as fine gauze, others are scaly and 
mealy ; some are without any covering, others are concealed in cases 
or sheaths. At the sides, or at the extremity of the body, there are 
orifices something like the pupil of the eye ; they are called stigmata, 
and are the organs of respiration. How various are the forms of the 
insects which walk, fly, leap, and crawl ! and yet in all a most perfect 
harmony and proportion of form is observable. And not to acknow- 
ledge in all this the infinite wisdom of the Creator, is the height of 
folly and absurdity ; we are only virtuous and rational in as much as 
we confess an Almighty and Supreme Power, and bless and adore 
him in all the works of the creation. 



AUGUST VII. 

COMPARISON BETWEEN THE SENSES OF MEN AND THOSE 
OF ANIMALS. 

Are any animals endowed with more perfect senses than man 1 In 
certain particular instances some of them undoubtedly are ; but in 
general man is more highly favoured in this respect than all other 
animals. It is indeed asserted, that the spider has a finer feeling ; 
and the vulture, the bee, and the dog, a keener smell. We know 
that by means of this sense the hound pursues his game ; and other 
dogs discover things beneath the ground. The hog also, guided by 
his smell, digs in the earth for food. Stags are supposed to have the 
sense of hearing so acute, that they can hear the sound of bells at 
several miles distance ; and the mole hears better below the earth, 
than man, who dwells upon the surface. 

With regard to sight, the eagle among birds, and the lynx among 
quadrupeds, are said to be mUch more perfect than man. Though 
these observations are true ; yet if we consider animals in general, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 285 

and compare them with man, we must immediately be struck with 
his great pre-eminence in the creation. He is by nature endowed 
with five senses ; and this advantage is not enjoyed by one half of 
animals. The zoophites, which form the connecting link between 
the animal and vegetable kingdoms, have only the sense of feeling. 
Many animals have only two senses, others three, and those which 
have five are considered as the most perfect class. But these have 
very seldom all their senses more perfect than men, some of whom 
enjoy them in a very exquisite state. Borne Indians can judge by 
their smell what quantity of alloy is mixed with the precious metals, 
as well as we can by the touchstone. Others will discover at a very 
great distance the retreat of a wild beast. The inhabitants of the 
Antilles will distinguish by their smell whether a Frenchman or a ne- 
gro had last passed along the road. 

The acuteness of his senses in some degree compensates the wild 
Indian for his want of education. Many people, by exercise and great 
attention, have improved certain senses to a wonderful degree of per- 
fection ; and if man, like other animals, was destitute of the reason- 
ing faculty, and had no means of procuring food, or preserving himself 
from danger, but his organs of sensation ; these by continual exercise 
would doubtless have acquired the highest degree of refinement and 
acuteness. But constituted as he is, man has no occasion for more 
acute senses than those he already possesses. The gift of reason 
abundantly compensates him for the advantages that some animals 
have over him ; and we may even assert with confidence, that if our 
senses were more refined, we should experience great inconvenience 
from them. Let us take for example the sense of hearing ; if we had 
this sense so acute as the safety of some animals requires it to be in 
them, the most distant noise, and the confused clashing of a vast 
number of sounds, would continually interrupt our meditations and 
repose, and prevent our most noble and useful occupations. 

Let us then be thankful that the infinite wisdom of God has so well 
arranged the degree of our sensations, that they enable us fully to 
enjoy the blessings of nature, without interrupting the Workings of 
the soul. The limited degree of our senses is then rather to be con- 
sidered as a gain than a loss ; as a perfection, rather than an imper- 
fection : and happy is the man who suffers his reason to control and 
restrain his senses, when they impel him to deviate into folly, or 
plunge into the mad vortex of fashion. 



AUGUST VIII. 



THUNDER. 



The thunder rolls ! Consider, O man, who it is that causes this 
dreadful roar ! Who is it that darts the lightning from the clouds 1 



286 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

It is the Lord of the universe ; the arm of the mighty God hurls the 
thunderbolt. 

Nature reposes in his hand; he preserves and blesses her; but 
his voice will be heard, and at the sound thereof the heavens shall 
be consumed, the earth devoured by the flames, and they shall be no 
more. 

The thunder peals ! Dreadful is the sky involved in storms ! The 
lightning flashes, and the thunderbolt is shot ! Great is our God, 
and omnipotent his power ! The Lord looks down from his throne, 
and by the lightning's gleam we see the grave open under our feet.- 

When the God of heaven rides upon the whirlwind, men tremble 
and are afraid ; when he unveils his face the universe turns pale, and 
none can behold the glory of his countenance. 

The sinner hears his voice, and his soul sinks appalled ; he dare 
not look upon him whose counsels he has neglected. The good man 
contemplates the majesty of God without fear ; and his soul is un- 
troubled amid the tempest's howl and the storm's fierce rage. The 
Lord shields him from the thunderbolt, which strikes terror into the 
heart of the wicked. 

And though it is the will of his Heavenly Father that the right- 
eous man should die, he cheerfully resigns his soul into the hands of 
his Maker ; and his last words proclaim his inward peace, and that 
whether he lives or dies, his only hope is in his Saviour and his God. 

He who directs the thunder is the friend and all-consoling hope of 
the Christian. What though he should take me away suddenly from 
among the living 1 It is that I may dwell in the regions of light and 
glory, and, ever drink of the pure fountain of bliss. 

He who, when the sky is serene, and every wind is hushed, glo- 
rifies his Creator with joy and thanksgiving, is still calm and un- 
daunted when the sinner is hiding himself from the threatening 
storm. • • 

But whither will he fly ? Can he escape the eye of an all-penetra- 
ting God 1 In vain does he attempt to hide himself; the lightning 
pursues and smites him in his dark retreat. 

Think not of escaping then, O ye wicked, nor trust that flight will 
save you ; renounce your errors, and give up your delusive dreams ; 
ye cannot conceal yourselves from your God, who is every where pre- 
sent. Whilst the thunder roars, you tremble and are troubled ; but 
the tempest ceases, nature breathes, and you return to the deceitful 
pleasures that have bewildered your reason. 

But if you would obtain pleasures that never fail, prostrate your- 
selves before the throne of God ; implore that mercy, which is never 
refused to the penitent ; and forget not the promises that you made, 
the vows which you uttered, in the hour of your distress, and in the 
moment of your tribulation ; remembering that God has declared he 
is a God of justice, and will not be mocked. 

He is merciful and long suffering ; he spares the rebellious, but he 
will not spare for ever. He is just, and before his holy tribunal we 
must all appear. What is the thunder that roars over our heads in 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 287 

comparison of that awful day, when we shall hear the sound of the 
trumpet ; when the elements themselves shall be dissolved by fire ; 
and the earth and all that it contains be consumed by ardent heat. 



AUGUST IX. 

CONTEMPLATION UPON A MEADOW. 

Ye gloomy and majestic woods, where the fir-tree rears its stately 
head, where the tufted oaks spread their thickening foliage ; and ye 
rivers, whose clear silver streams roll among the blue mountains, or 
gently glide through the vales below ; with you I love to roam, and 
mark the landscape lessening on my sight, till all is wrapped in 
shade ! 

But now other beauties invite me forth ; the verdant mead, all gay 
with flowers, attracts me. Vegetables of a thousand kinds refresh 
the air ; millions of insects, their painted wings glittering in the sun, 
are flying from flower to flower in sportive mood ; whilst others are 
winding through the dark labyrinths of the tufted grass ; all varying 
in beauty, and each seeking for food and pleasure. 

How soothing is the murmur of yon limpid stream, as its waters 
gently wash the flowers that, bending over the grassy bank, oft kiss 
the dimpling wave, or dance reflected on its surface ! 

See those waving plants ! what a mild lustre the sun beams on the 
different shades of green ! Some delicately entwine with the grass, 
and mingle with it their beautiful foliage ; others proudly rear their 
heads above the rest, and display flowers without perfume ; whilst the 
lovely violet, in lowly modesty drest, dwells beneath the bank, and 
scents the air with fragrant odours. Thus we often see the man of 
worth and integrity, obscured by poverty, unnoticed, and unregarded, 
diffuse blessings round his humble sphere ; whilst the slave of igno- 
rance and villany, shrouded in the all-protecting garb of riches, con- 
sumes in idleness the fruits of the earth, and receives the applause of 
millions. 

How beautiful is nature ! The grass and flowers grow luxuriantly ; 
the trees are covered with leaves ; the soft zephyr refreshes us ; the 
flocks wanton in the pastures; the little lambs declare their joy by a 
thousand sportive skips, and frisk lightly over the mead. The green 
grass, tipped with sweet dew, adorns the field ; the leaves tremble in 
the Dreeze, and the melody of the nightingale rises from yonder bush. 
Every thing is joy, every thing inspires love ; it reigns on the hills and 
in the valleys, on the trees and in the groves. 

Nature is beautiful even in her least productions. The sporting 
insects pursue each other in the grass ; sometimes lost in the verdure, 
then rising and displaying their gilded wings, dancing in the sun- 
beam. The butterfly hovers over the clover, flutters its wings, and 
seems proud of its charms. The buzzing of a swarm of young bees 



288 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

now meets my ear. See the flowers bending under them ! They 
have gayly flown from their distant home, and dispersed themselves 
over the fields and gardens, where they collect the honeyed nectar of 
the flowers, and riot in luxurious sweets and ever-varying charms. 

Happy is the man whose life of innocence smoothly flows im bo- 
somed in nature's sweetest treasures. The creation smiles to him, 
and joy gilds his glad moments ; whether reclining in the evening 
shade, or brushing with hasty steps the morning dew. Pleasure 
springs for him from every fountain ; every flower yields its charms, 
and every grove welcomes him to its hallowed shade. For him wild 
concerts warble in the air ; and his mind, serene as a summer's day, 
knows no corroding, heart-consuming care : his affections are pure as 
the untainted breath of morn, sweet as the dew-washed flowers: 
in the beauties of nature he sees his God, and to him devotes his 
willing soul. 



AUGUST X. 

MISCHIEFS CAUSED BY ANIMALS. 

It is distressing to see some of the finest productions of nature ex- 
posed to the ravages of animals. Every summer we observe the 
mischievous effects of the rapacity of birds and insects in the vege- 
table kingdom ! How many trees are destroyed, and fruits consumed, 
by worms and caterpillars ! And how much necessary sustenance we 
are deprived of by the insatiable sparrow and greedy raven ! These 
and similar complaints are often uttered by men who seem to imagine 
that certain animals only exist to torment mankind. It is true, there 
is some foundation for such complaints ; and it must be granted that 
some creatures do occasion much mischief. . It is more easy to exter- 
minate wolves, lions, and other wild beasts, than to extirpate insects, 
whose numerous swarms cover a whole country. In Peru a species 
of ant called chako is a terrible scourge to the inhabitants ; and their 
lives would be -endangered if they did not use precautions to get rid of 
these formidable insects. The devastation made by caterpillars on our 
fruit-trees, and by mice in our fields is well known. 

But however great these inconveniences may be, they do not au- 
thorize such bitter complaints as some people make. We are pleased 
to see the animals which are mischievous to us destroy one another ; 
we think we may without injustice deprive animals of life, either for 
our food or any other purpose ; but we cannot bear that they should 
take any thing from us. But have we more right to take away the 
life of a gnat, than it has to take a drop of our blood 1 Besides, in 
complaining of the voracity of animals, we do not consider that this 
arrangement of nature is not so disadvantageous as it may at first sight 
appear. To be convinced of this, we have only to consider the ani- 
mal kingdom in an enlarged point of view. We shall then find, that 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 289 

many species of animals, birds, or insects, apparently hurtful, are on 
the contrary of great utility. Several years ago, the inhabitants of 
the then English colonies of America endeavoured to extirpate the 
tribe of jays, because they imagined that these birds did great injury 
to the corn. But the number of jays was scarcely diminished, when 
immense numbers of worms, caterpillars, &c. ravaged their corn- 
fields. They immediately stopped the persecution of the jays ; whose 
numbers again increasing, soon put an end to the plague, the conse- 
quence of their destruction. 

Some time ago a project was formed in Sweden to destroy all the 
crows ; but it was observed, that these birds were not only fond of 
seeds and plants, but they devoured a great number of worms and 
caterpillars, which live upon the leaves and roots of vegetables. 

In North America great exertions were used to drive away the 
sparrow tribe ; and in consequence of their success, the flies and gnats 
multiplied to such a degree in the marshy countries, that large tracts 
of land were left uncultivated. 

Pheasant-hunting is so considerable in the island of Procita, that 
the king of Naples prohibited the use of cats to the inhabitants. In 
a few years the rats and mice becoming extremely numerous, caused 
so much mischief, that his Neapolitan majesty was obliged to revoke 
his decree for the annihilation of cats. 

Why should we be so selfish as to wish to deprive animals of the 
provisions necessary for their subsistence ? Are we able ourselves to 
consume all the fruits of the earth 1 And do we find any deficiency 
in our sustenance or our pleasures, because birds, insects, and a few 
animals, partake with us of the blessings which God has so bounti- 
fully bestowed, and of which a part must spoil if these creatures did 
not make use of it 1 Instead then of indulging in unjust complaints, 
let us rather acknowledge the wisdom of our Creator. Every thing 
is connected in the vast kingdom of nature ; no creature is useless, or 
placed there without an end, though we are ignorant of the destina- 
tion of many animals. It is sufficient that they exist, for us to suppose 
that they are created for the wisest purposes. 

Thus the consideration of the apparent disorders and imperfections 
of nature leads us to God, who has created nothing in vain, who pre- 
serves nothing without reason, and who, when he permits any thing 
to be destroyed, does not do it without some useful design. If we 
were sufficiently convinced of these truths, all the works of God would 
excite us to glorify and to bless his divine power and goodness. 



AUGUST XI. 

VARIETY OF COLOURS. 

When we consider how dull and gloomy our fields and gardens 
would be, and how indistinct every object would appear, were there 



290 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

only one colour, we must acknowledge the wise goodness of God, 
who by causing such a diversity of hues, has increased and varied 
our pleasures. Objects which are designed to be seen at a distance 
are painted in glowing colours, and are striking by their grandeur ; 
such are the heavens : whilst those objects which we can contem- 
plate nearer, as birds, flowers, &c. have a peculiar lightness, fineness, 
delicacy, and elegance. 

But whence proceeds the difference of colours 1 Each ray of light 
appears to be simple, but by refraction it is divided into several, and 
hence arises the diversity of colours. A glass filled with water and 
exposed to the sun, reflects certain colours upon white paper ; and 
angular glasses, or prisms, reflect still more vivid colours. By hold- 
ing a prism towards the sun, we may see the colours of the most 
beautiful rainbow ; or it may be done by receiving a ray of light on 
the prism, through a small hole in the window -shutter of a room 
closely shut. As the refraction of the ray is more or less strong, the 
colours will be more or less vivid. The most refrangible ray is the 
violet, and consequently it is the weakest. Next to it is the indigo ; 
then the blue, next the green, then the yellow, next orange, and lastly 
the red, which is the least refrangible of all. 

The nature of coloured bodies contributes much to the diversity of 
their colours. The smallest particles of most bodies are transparent ; 
hence they break, absorb, or reflect, the rays of light, sometimes one 
way and sometimes another, like prisms. And what completely 
proves that colours are not inherent in bodies is, that the neck and 
plumage of a pigeon or peacock ; and stuffs, such as taffetas, and 
other silk stuffs, &c. ; change colour according to the position in which 
they are placed. This may enable us to understand whence the 
variety of colours proceeds ; which is nothing more than that the 
surface of bodies is composed of extremely thin laminae, which, accord- 
ing to their thickness, reflect certain coloured rays, whilst they admit 
or absorb others in their pores. Thus, when a body whose surface is 
smooth reflects and throws back almost all the rays of light, it appears 
white ; but when it absorbs them all, it is black. 

Let us here admire the goodness and wisdom of God ; for, if the 
rays were not divisible and differently coloured, all would be uniform, 
and we could only distinguish objects by reasoning, and by the cir- 
cumstances of time and place. We should be reduced to the most 
awkward perplexity and uncertainty ; our eyes would be fatigued 
with constantly seeing one colour, and we should be weary of the 
continued uniformity. But the diversity of colours existing in nature 
diffuses beauty over the earth, and procures new and repeated variety 
of pleasure. In this we have abundant proof of the provident cares 
of God ; who has provided for our pleasures as well as our necessities, 
and in creating the world has regarded the beauty as much as the 
perfection and utility of his works. Far as the eye can reach, we 
discover new and varied beauties in the plains, in the valleys, and the 
mountains ; every thing conduces to our pleasure, and calls forth our 
gratitude. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 291 

AUGUST XII. 

HABITATIONS OF BEAVERS. 

If a man who had never heard of the industry of beavers, and their 
manner of building their dwellings, were shown the edifices which 
they construct, he would suppose them to be the work of some most 
skilful architects. Every thing is wonderful in the labours of these 
amphibious animals ; the regular plan, the size, the solidity, and the 
admirable art of their buildings, must fill eveiy attentive observer with 
astonishment. The beavers choose their place of abode where there 
is a plentiful supply of provisions, and a river in which they may form 
a lake to bathe in. They begin by constructing a dike or bank, which 
keeps the water level with the first floor of their building : this bank 
Is sometimes a prodigious work, from ten to twelve feet thick at the 
foundation ; it is made sloping, and gradually diminishes in thick- 
ness, till, towards the top, it is not more than two feet broad. The 
materials of which it is composed are wood and clay. The beavers 
cut pieces of wood as thick as a man's arm with great facility. They 
fix these in the earth by one of their extremities, very near to each 
other, and entwine round them other pieces that are smaller and more 
flexible. But as the water may still pass through, and leave their 
watering-place dry, they make use of clay to fill up all the interstices 
both within and without, so well, that the water cannot possibly flow 
through ; and in proportion as the water rises, they raise their bank. 

Having finished their dyke, they begin to work at their houses ; 
which are round or oval buildings divided into three stories, raised one 
above the other, one of which is below the dike and generally filled 
with water, the other tw r o are above. They fix these buildings very 
firmly upon the brink of their lake, and always with stories, that if 
the water should rise, they may still be able to lodge above it. If 
they find a little island near the watering-place, they build their house 
upon it, as being more firm, and they are also less incommoded by the 
water, in which they cannot remain long at a time. If this conve- 
nience is not to be obtained, with the assistance of their teeth they 
force stakes into the earth to support their building against the force 
of wind and water. They make two openings at the bottom to go 
out into the water ; one leads to the place where they bathe, the other 
to the plaee where they deposite whatever might dirty their upper 
apartments. They have a third door, placed higher up, for fear of 
being taken when the ice closes up the lower doors. Sometimes they 
build their houses entirely upon dry ground, and dig ditches from five 
to six feet deep, down to the water. They use the same materials 
and the same industry for their buildings as for their banks. The 
walls are perpendicular, and about two feet thick. With their teeth 
they cut off the ends of the wood and sticks that project from the wall ; 
and then mixing clay with dry grass, they make a composition, with 
which they plaster, by means of their tail, the inside and the outside 



292 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

of their building. The inside of their house is arched, and its size is 
proportioned to the number of inhabitants. A space twelve feet long- 
by eight or ten broad is sufficient for eight or ten beavers. If the 
number is greater, they enlarge their building in proportion. 

The instruments which the beavers use are four strong and sharp 
teeth ; the two fore-feet, of which the toes are separated ; the two 
hind-feet, which are furnished with membranes ; and their tail, 
which is covered with scales, and is like an oblong trowel. With 
only these simple tools, they excel our masons and carpenters with 
all their apparatus of trowels, squares, axes, saws, &c. With their 
teeth they cut the wood which they use in their buildings ; their 
fore-feet serve them to dig the ground, and to prepare the clay. They 
use their tail both to carry the mortar or clay and to plaster their 
houses. 

The works of beavers then have the greatest resemblance to those 
of men ; and upon their first appearance we may imagine them to 
be produced by rational and thinking beings. But when w*e examine 
them nearer, we shall find that in all their proceedings these animals 
do not act upon the principles of reason, but by an instinct which is 
implanted in them by nature. If reason directed their labours, we 
should naturally conclude that the buildings which they now con- 
struct would be very different from those they formerly made, and 
that they would gradually advance towards perfection. But we find 
that they never vary in the least from the rules of their forefathers, 
never deviate from the circle prescribed to them by nature ; and the 
beavers of the present time build exactly after the same plan as those 
which lived before the deluge. But they are not the less worthy of 
our admiration. In these sagacious creatures we have an example of 
the great diversity there is in the instinct of animals. How superior 
is the instinct of the beaver to that of the sheep ! May we profit by 
our discoveries of the different faculties of animals, so as more and 
more to advance in perfection, and increase our knowledge of the love 
and infinite power of God ! 



AUGUST XIII. 

MANNER IN WHICH THE NUTRITION OP THE HUMAN BODY IS 

EFFECTED. 

Alimentary matter, when taken into the stomach, is separated into 
two parts : the one nutritious, which remains in the body ; the other 
not nutritive, is expelled from it. It is first requisite that the food 
should be broken, and its parts decomposed. This is begun in the 
mouth by the process of mastication. The fore-teeth, or incisors, cut 
and divide the pieces ; the canine, or side-teeth, tear them ; and the 
double-teeth grind them small. The tongue and lips also contribute 
to this, by keeping the food under the teeth as long as is necessary. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 293 

Certain glands, pressed upon during the process of mastication, pour 
out saliva to moisten the food, and render it more easily divisible, as 
well as facilitate its digestion. Hence the great advantage of well 
chewing the food before it is swallowed. 

The aliments thus comminuted, moistened, and mixed, are received 
into the pharynx or beginning of the throat ; in which canal there are 
glands that continually secrete a fluid that lubricates the throat, and 
renders the passage of the food more easy. When this is too dry, 
the sensation of thirst excites us to drink. The food follows the 
course of the throat till it is received into the stomach ; a membra- 
nous bag, in which is secreted a fluid called the gastric juice, by the 
action of which upon the food digestion is performed. When we 
have too long abstained from eating, the gastric juice, stimulating the 
nervous coat of the stomach, occasions the sensation of hunger. The 
stomach is continually in motion by the contraction of its fibres from 
above downwards, so that its cavity is straightened ; the lower ter- 
mination rises towards the middle, and the whole is equalty contracted. 
The aliment, prevented from returning into the throat by means of a 
valve covering the upper orifice of the stomach, readily passes through 
the inferior opening or pylorus into the intestinal canal, which is pro- 
perly a continuation of the stomach. This canal is subject to a con- 
stant motion, called the peristaltic motion, by means of which the 
whole alimentary mass is completely agitated. 

By the preceding operations, the aliment is reduced to a pulpy 
mass, which passes slowly through the intestines by means of their 
vermicular motion ; and is there mixed with the bile, which is secre- 
ted by the liver, and stimulates the intestines to act. In each intes- 
tine are discovered the orifices of very fine vessels, called lacteals. 
The whitest and purest part of the alimentary mass passes through 
these, and is conveyed by them into a larger vessel, which passes 
from the abdomen through the chest, and terminates in the veins. 
The white colour of the chyle is then lost among the blood, and it is 
no longer distinguished from that fluid ; and thus prepared and per- 
fected, it is conveyed by numerous canals to every part of the body, 
to which it imparts life and nourishment. The gross and innutritious 
part which remains in the large intestines, passes from the colon into 
the rectum, whence in due time it is expelled from the body. 

From this short account we learn what a variety of operations are 
requisite to accomplish one of the daily necessities of our body. How 
many parts and organs concur in providing for the growth and nou- 
rishment of the whole ! And what is most admirable is, that all the 
parts of our bodies which are thus exercised for its nutrition, serve 
also for other purposes. The tongue, for instance, which contributes 
so materially to mastication, is also the organ of speech and of taste. 
In fact, there is not one member of our bodies which has only one 
office. Let us reflect upon these peculiar mercies of God ; and whe- 
ther we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, let it be to his glory. 



25* 



294 STURM'S REFLECTIONS, 

AUGUST XIV. 

NATURE CONSIDERED IN DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW. 

The works of nature, ever superior to those of art, are particularly 
so from their admirable variety, which always affords new subjects of 
wonder and pleasure. We look at a work of art till we become 
weary with seeing it, or regard it with indifference. But the mind 
is never fatigued with contemplating and reflecting upon the works 
of nature, which continually present new charms to the delighted 
imagination. 

When we consider nature in her most sublime and majestic point 
of view, how astonished we are at the immensity of the heavens, the 
innumerable multitude of the stars, and the vast extent of the ocean ! 
Compared with these, all the works of art, however great and ex- 
cellent, are insignificant and contemptible. Every thing that God 
has created is stamped with a grandeur far surpassing our conception. 
To give us an idea of his infinity, he had only to form the sky, which 
displays more magnificence and grandeur than all that the earth 
contains. Is any thing more likely to inspire us with a profound 
veneration for God, than to contemplate him in his works ? If we are 
rightly concerned, what a religious awe fills our minds when we be- 
hold those grand phenomena of nature which no man can produce ; 
such as earthquakes, volcanoes, storms, tempests, and floods ; all of 
which forcibly impress the mind with the majesty of the Creator of 
the heavens and the earth ! 

Nature also is presented under a more pleasing aspect ; we see 
valleys adorned with verdure and flowers, fields which promise abun- 
dant crops, and mountains green with trees and beautiful plants. In 
all these lovely scenes the God of nature shows himself the friend 
and benefactor of man ; he extends, his bountiful arm, and plenti- 
fully satisfies every living creature. And this present season, in which 
every thing combines to delight our senses and conduce to our nou- 
rishment, furnishes the strongest proofs of his goodness. 

But the time approaches when nature will assume a more gloomy 
appearanee ; when she will lose her beauty and variety, and resem- 
ble a desert void of all pleasure and riches. Every day brings us 
nearer this mournful season ; and the lengthening evenings begin to 
warn us of the change. Even then nature has still attractions, and 
winter concurs in the perfection of the creation. 

Let us apply these reflections to our lives, which are equally liable 
to change and sudden variations. To the most happy and delightful 
scenes often succeed the most trying and unfortunate. Let us then 
in prosperity prepare for adversity, and in every situation of life glo- 
rify and bless the Father and Giver of all good. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 295 

AUGUST XV. 

DAMAGES WHICH MAY BE OCCASIONED BY RAIN. 

A moderate quantity of rain always contributes to the growth and 
fertility of plants, and consequently is of great benefit to the earth. 
But when it falls with too great vehemence, or continues too long, it 
becomes hurtful to vegetables. When too violent, it forces the deli- 
cate plants into the ground ; and its too long continuance prevents 
their growth. A superabundant moisture deprives them of the neces- 
sary degree of heat ; the circulation of the sap is interrupted ; the 
secretions are imperfectly performed, and the plants droop and are in 
danger of perishing. 

But this is not the only way in which rain is prejudicial. It some- 
times causes great destruction. When several clouds, driven by fierce 
winds, meet in their course high towers, mountains, and other elevated 
places, they break, and suddenly pour down the water they contain 
in torrents. This often occasions much damage ; for water not being 
compressible, when it is much pressed it suddenly precipitates itself 
from mountains and other high places. It is not surprising then that 
it carries along with it the heaviest stones, beats down trees, and 
overthrows buildings. Two causes concur in rendering these effects 
more violent : the great volume of water precipitated, and its rapidity, 
increased by the height from which it falls ; the action of a moving 
body being in proportion to the mass of matter it contains, and the 
degree of velocity impressed upon it. 

Water-spouts are still more formidable. In figure they resemble 
an inverted cone, whose base terminates in some cloud, whilst the 
point is directed towards the earth. These water-spouts attract and 
draw up every thing in their way, and afterwards dash them down 
in the torrent. If the point of this conical stream strikes the sea, the 
water boils, foams, and rises into the air with a terrible noise ; and if 
it falls upon vessels or buildings, it shatters and throws down the one, 
and so violently shakes the other that they often founder. According 
to all appearance, this meteor is produced by the action of winds 
blowing in contrary directions, and which in their passage meeting 
with clouds, drive them with violence against each other. When 
these opposite winds strike a cloud on one side, they give them a cir- 
cular motion, and make them whirl round with considerable velocity. 
They then take the form of a whirlwind, and their weight being 
suddenly increased by the force of pressure, they rush down with 
impetuosity, and in their fall assume the figure of a column, at one 
time conical, at another cylindrical, which turns round its centre wuth 
great velocity ; and their violence is in propo v tion to the quantity of 
water, and to the rapidity of the descent. / 

Cataracts and water-spouts are always angerous. Fortunately 
the latter very seldom occur on land, thouf ft they are frequent at sea. 
Mountainous countries are more exposed to cataracts than are those 



296 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

situations which are more flat and level ; and they so rarely happen, 
that many years often pass before even a few acres of ground are 
destroyed by them. Such are some of the disastrous effects produced 
by these phenomena: but the good man, far from murmuring and 
complaining when he hears the storm howling around him, or wit- 
nesses the dreadfuf devastation of the cataract, bows his head in 
humility, and acknowledges with grateful reverence the blessings he 
is daily permitted to enjoy ; whilst these interruptions of the general 
harmony of nature are only partial evils, and very seldom happen. 
Let us then consider the works of God with humility and adoration, 
and endeavour to form just ideas of their magnitude and excellence. 
For, doubtless, infinite order, goodness, and wisdom always prevail, 
even where the limited faculties of man can discover no traces of their 
presence. 



AUGUST XVI. 

CARES OP ANIMALS FOR THEIR YOUNG. 

That instinct which leads brutes to preserve their young is one of 
the most remarkable faculties with which nature has endued animals. 
We find scarcely any creature which abandons its eggs or its young 
to blind chance. Their love extends to their posterity in a very great 
degree, and operates in that way which is best adapted to their nature 
and different modes of living. Some of these little creatures, which 
are hatched from the eggs of fish and insects, have no need of being 
covered by their parent, because the heat of summer is sufficient to 
vivify and strengthen them ; and from the first moment of their birth 
they are able to assist themselves, provided they are in a suitable place, 
and have provisions within their reach. The greater part of insects 
do not live long enough to see their young. Fish and amphibious 
animals cannot distinguish their young ones from those of the same 
species ; and yet nature teaches them the best means of providing for 
the principal wants of new generations. Fish swim in shoals, and 
deposite their spawn near the coasts, where the water being shallow 
is more easily warmed by the heat of the sun, and where in conse- 
quence the young fry are more easily hatched, and obtain the requisite 
food. 

Amphibious animals quit the water and deposite their eggs in the 
sand, that they may be hatched by the sun's rays ; as if they were 
aware that their young would readily find their true element, and the 
place in which they are destined to live and seek their food. Gnats, 
and other insects, which come to life in water, but which afterward 
live in the air or upon the earth, always lay their eggs where the life 
of their young is to begin. Insects which fly above the surface of 
the earth, and which generally require no food for themselves, are, 
however, caieful to deposke their eggs upon plants, fruits, flesh, and 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 297 

other substances" which will serve as nourishment for their young*. 
Some of them pursue animals, and insinuate their eggs in their skin, 
hair, mouth, and entrails: Some animals deposite their eggs in nests 
and cells which they have prepared and stored with provision proper 
for their young. Other animals, which at the time of birth cannot 
help themselves, are taken care of by their parents. 

How great is the solicitude of birds, even before they lay their eggs ! 
Each species has its peculiar mode of constructing its nest. How 
assiduously and patiently they sit upon their eggs for some weeks, 
scarcely allowing themselves time to eat their food ! With what care 
they keep their young warm after they are hatched, and supply them 
with the necessary food ! What courage they display in defending 
them from harm, often exposing themselves to danger whilst protect- 
ing their helpless little ones ! Is it not also a very remarkable instinct 
in animals that induces tbem to cut the umbilical cord of their young 
with their teeth, and with such precaution as to prevent any loss of 
blood 1 How tenderly do they suckle them, and how carefully do they 
guard them from danger. 

In general the instinct of all animals for the preservation of their 
young, is stronger than the desire of satisfying their own wants. They 
suffer hunger and thirst, refuse sleep and all indulgence, and even 
expose their own lives, rather than neglect their offspring. In this 
instinct which nature has given to animals we may observe a most 
admirable wisdom ; for the preservation of every species depends upon 
the cares of the parents. That viviparous animals should have so much 
tenderness for their young is not so very remarkable, because they 
are their own flesh and blood ; but that oviparous animals should have 
an equal solicitude for their eggs is truly wonderful. 

Adorable Father of nature ! Who does not here perceive and admire 
thy wisdom? Who does not acknowledge thy goodness in watching 
over the preservation of the animal world ; making it subservient to 
our wants and to our pleasures 1 May the eyes of all be opened, so 
as they may behold more clearly the wisdom which shines so beauti- 
fully in all the works of the creation ! 



AUGUST XVII. 

SENSIBILITY OF PLANTS. 

Certain motions may be observed in plants, which makes it probable 
that they are possessed of sensibility. Some plants shrink and con- 
tract their leaves upon being touched ; others open and shut their 
flowers at certain fixed hours, so regularly as to denote with precision 
the time of day ; some assume a peculiar form during the night, fold- 
ing up their leaves : and these different changes take place whether 
they are in the open air or shut up in close apartments. Those which 
live under water, during the time of fecundation, raise their flowers 

2N 



298 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

above the surface. The motions of a marshy plant discovered some 
time since in the province of Carolina are still more singular. Its 
round leaves are furnished above and on the sides with a multitude 
of notches that are extremely irritable. When an insect happens to 
creep upon the superior surface of the leaves, they fold up and enclose 
the insect till it dies ; the leaves then open of themselves. We may 
daily observe regular motions in some plants in our gardens. Tulips 
expand their petals when the weather is fine, and close them again 
at sunset, or during rain. Vegetables with pods, such as peas and 
beans, open their shells when dry, and curl themselves up like shav- 
ings of wood. Wild oats, when placed upon a table, will move 
spontaneously, more especially if warmed in the hand. And the 
heliotrope, or sunflower, with various other plants, always turns 
towards the sun. 

These are incontestable facts, of the certainty of which every per- 
son may be readily satisfied. From them, some have concluded that 
we ought not to deny sensibility to be an attribute of plants ; and 
certainly the facts which are alleged in favour of such an opinion 
give it great appearance of probability. But, on the other hand, 
plants have no other sign of sensibility ; and all that they have is 
entirely mechanical. 

We plant a shrub, and destroy it, without finding any analogy be- 
tween it and an animal. We see a plant bud, blossom, and bear 
seed, insensibly, as the hand of a watch runs round the points of the 
dial. The most exact anatomy of a plant does not unfold to us any 
organ which has the least relation to those of animal sensibility. 
When we oppose these observations to those from which we might 
infer the sensibility of plants, we remain in uncertainty, and cannot 
explain the phenomena related above. Our .knowledge upon this 
subject is very imperfect, and is confined to simple conjecture. We 
can neither attribute sensibility to plants, nor deny it to them, with 
certainty. 

Let us then rest satisfied with ascribing unto our Creator the glory 
that is his due ; and be convinced, that whether plants have sensi- 
bility or not, whatever be the principle of the phenomena of which 
we have been treating, the arrangements of nature with respect to 
these and all other things are dictated by wisdom and infinite good- 
ness. We have great cause to be content with the little we have yet 
discovered in the vegetable kingdom, though we were to learn no 
more ; and though the particular point in question still remains ob- 
scure and doubtful, what we already know is sufficient to gratify our 
curiosity and inspire us with the love of God. Let us only endeavour 
with earnestness to apply the knowledge we already possess to useful 
purposes, without perplexing and entangling ourselves in the mazes 
of speculation, always more curious than beneficial ; and without 
being anxious to obtain that information which our limited faculties 
do not permit us to acquire, and which it is perhaps reserved for future 
ages more enlightened to discover. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 299 

AUGUST XVIII. 

FEAR OF STORMS. 

At the season in which nature presents to our view the most de- 
lightful scenery, and every thing abroad conspires to procure us joy 
and felicity, there are some people who still murmur and complain. 
They say the summer would be very pleasant if storms did not so 
often disturb the harmony of nature, and stifle every sentiment of joy 
in the heart. This fear of storms and thunder is principally founded 
upon the opinion that they are the effects of the wrath of Heaven, 
and the ministers of an offended God. For if such people considered 
how much storms contribute to purify the air from various noxious 
exhalations, and that they increase the fertility of the earth ; if they 
did but employ the necessary precautions to shelter themselves from 
the dreadful effects of thunder ; storms would lose their terrors, and 
would be regarded as benefits, more calculated to inspire gratitude 
than terror. 

It may however be objected, that thunder and lightning often occa- 
sion great devastation ; that they have often struck men and animals, 
and destroyed towns and villages. To this we may reply, that in 
this, as in many other things, fear often increases the danger, and 
magnifies the evil. To be convinced how rarely it happens that peo- 
ple are killed by lightning, we have only to be informed that out of 
seven hundred and fifty thousand persons who died in London during 
the space of thirty years, only two were destroyed by lightning. We 
may also observe that during a thunder-storm the generality of people 
prolong their fears without any real necessity. He who has time to 
fear, and be alarmed at the effects of the lightning, is already out of 
danger ; for as that is the only thing which can be fatal to us, the 
moment we have seen it, and remain unhurt, we are safe ; as the roar 
of the thunder which soon follows, whether rolling at a distance, the 
peals break upon our ear, or bursting with a sound that seems to rend 
asunder the concave of heaven, immediately above our heads, is 
harmless as the echo that dies on the breeze. 

If by reflecting upon the cause of these phenomena our fear does 
not subside, the surest means of preserving our firmness and strength 
of mind is by endeavouring to acquire a good conscience. The soul 
that is just and pure firmly relies upon the merciful goodness of his 
God, and calmly reposes amid the convulsions of nature. ' He hears, 
without dread, the thunder roll. His Creator, the God whom he 
loves and adores, directs it ; and knows when to terrify, and when to 
strike : with storms and tempests He sometimes visits the hardened 
soul of the impious wretch that dares to deny his power, and dis- 
honour his attributes.' 



300 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

AUGUST XIX. 

SUMMER PRESENTS US WITH IMAGES OF DEATH. 

A few weeks ago, when we walked in our gardens, we were sur- 
rounded with the most beautiful and pleasing objects, and every thing 
raised emotions of joy in our hearts. . But now, every day diminishes 
the number of pleasing objects, or renders their appearance more uni- 
form. The greatest part of the flowers which then beautified our 
gardens have disappeared, and we begin to have only feint traces of 
the once charming scenes which so ravished our senses. These re- 
volutions in nature may be very instructive to us. There is a period 
in our lives in which all the charms of spring make gay and happy 
our moments, that swiftly glide away, whilst we are beloved and ca- 
ressed by parents, fondly solicitous for our welfare, and anxiously ex- 
pecting from our future conduct the rich fruit of all their tender cares. 
But how often is this hope deceived ! Many a sweet floweret falls 
before the blossoms expand. Sickness withers our charms, and nips 
our opening beauties ; and an early death changes hope into the 
gloom of despondency. 

We see spring flowers which bloom till summer, then perish in a 
few hours. A very striking emblem of death ! And scarcely a day 
passes in which some human being is not unexpectedly and without 
warning met by the unsparing messenger. The days of man are as 
the grass ; he nourisheth as a flpwer of the field : the wind bloweth 
upon him and he is gone, and the place that knew him knows him 
no more. 

We are now in that season in which the fervent rays of the sun 
induce us to seek repose in the refreshing shade of the groves. These 
cool sequestered retreats are favourable for serious reflection ; and our 
thoughts will there sometimes be directed to the awful solemnity of 
the grave, where the just will be received as into a safe harbour from 
the tossings and dangers of a life of care and trouble. 

The reaper prepares to cut down his corn ; the sickle levels the tall 
ears on the right and on the left, and leaves behind it the fields empty 
and deserted. This is a just emblem of life : all flesh is as grass, and 
all the glory, all the honours and duration of life, as the flowers of the 
field : like them man flourishes for a time ; and, when the Lord of 
the harvest ordereth, falls under the scythe. 

Let us imitate the activity and industry of the bees ; and as they 
are busied in collecting and preparing their honey from every flower 
that scents the air, may we also be ever diligent in amassing those 
treasures of wisdom and virtue, which will be our delight when age 
presses heavily upon us, and our great consolation in the final separa- 
tion of the soul from the body ! 

The husbandman will soon assemble to collect the fruits of the 
earth, and deposite them in their granaries. The days of harvest are 
the most important of any in the year : but how much more solemn 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 301 

and momentous will be that great day, when the Creator of the uni- 
verse shall himself collect the harvest ; when the graves shall open, 
and deliver up their dead ; when the Supreme Judge of nations shall 
say unto his angels, ', Gather the tares into bundles to be burned, but 
gather the wheat into my garner !' Upon this day of awful solemnity 
the righteous may meditate with joy and reverence : here they labour 
and travail, and weeping sow their seed in the ground ; but the joyful 
day will arrive, when they shall carry their abundant harvest to the 
altar of God with songs of joy and of gladness. 

Meditation upon death is proper to make this happy season still 
more useful and beneficial. When we consider death in its true point 
of view, far from regarding it as the enemy of our pleasures, we shall 
acknowledge that its contemplation ennobles our ideas, and increases 
our real felicity. When the image of death is frequently present to 
our minds, can we deliver ourselves up to riot and excess 1 Should 
we make an improper use of the gifts which God grants us, if we 
continually remembered that the hour must come, when we are to 
give an account of our stewardship to him whom no one can deceive ? 
Would the blessings of this life possess our affections, if we considered 
how soon every thing must perish 1 If we considered that the even- 
ing will arrive and bring us ease and repose, should we murmur and 
repine at the burdens we bear through the heat of the day, or the 
sufferings to which we are subjected 1 Or, if we frequently medi- 
tated upon that better world, and those purer and more exalted plea- 
sures in which the souls of the righteous shall find a sure resting- 
place, should we imagine that our chief happiness consisted in the 
enjoyment of this world, and the pleasures it can afford 1 



AUGUST XX. 

CAUSES OF THE HEAT OF THE EARTH. 

The sun, without doubt, is one of the principal causes of the heat 
of this globe ; and the warmth of a particular place is owing to its 
relative position to the sun. When he is on the southern side of the 
earth, the inhabitants of the northern parts have not so much warmth 
as when he approaches the north pole. The same thing happens in 
the southern parts of the earth, when the sun is towards the north. 
In those climates where the sun is almost vertical, the cold is never 
so intense as to freeze the rivers and lakes ; the heat being very con- 
siderable in those regions. It becomes also very fervent when the sun 
continues long above the horizon, and his rays fall for a length 
of time upon the same place. Hence it is that towards the poles, 
where the days are very long, the heat in certain countries is some- 
times extremely intense. From all these circumstances it appears 
that the sun and his relative position to the earth is one of the chief 
causes of the heat in the open air. 



302 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

But this is not the only cause ; for if this were the case, the heat 
of every summer should be equal, and the temperature of countries 
in the same climate should be always exactly the same. But neither 
of these is the case ; for it is observed that upon the highest moun- 
tains, where even there are spacious plants, and upon these moun- 
tains other hills and more plains, it is much colder than in the low- 
lands and in the valleys. Even under the line, if we ascend from a 
plain where the heat is scarcely supportable, up a mountain several 
hundred feet high, we shall experience the most intense cold, and 
enter the region of snow and ice. It has also been remarked in win- 
ter, when during the day the cold has been very severe, it sometimes 
sensibly diminishes towards midnight, and then becomes temperate, 
although the sun's rays do not impart warmth to the atmosphere. 
This will prove then that there may be warmth in the air that is not 
immediately produced by the sun. 

There are substances which emit sparks and take fire by friction 
and percussion. The axletrees of wheels not sufficiently greased 
will take fire when the carriages roll with great rapidity. Other sub- 
stances will become warm and enkindle when mixed together. If a 
certain quantity of water be poured upon a truss of hay or straw, a 
degree of warmth will be produced. Bodies which undergo the 
process of putrefaction and of fermentation often acquire an increase 
of temperature. Even in the air the motion of certain matters may 
occasion mixtures, solutions, and combinations, which produce a great 
degree of heat. Thus we may conceive how heat may be produced 
in the open air. At first the sun is the principal cause of it : to the 
heat which proceeds from this body are joined that of several living 
crea ures and combustible matters, that which comes out of the 
bowels of the earth, from the depths of the seas, and from warm mi- 
neitil springs. This heat is often much increased by the fermentation 
that different bodies undergo, either upon the surface of the earth, or 
in the upper regions of the atmosphere, where they produce warm 
exhalations. When, therefore, the particles of bodies which float in 
the lower atmosphere, and which are capable of receiving and retain- 
ing heat, are warmed, and have not been cooled or dispersed by wind 
and rain, their heat gradually increases till it becomes intense ; and 
diminishes when any of the above causes cease to act. 

All these arrangements are worthy of the wisdom and goodness of 
God ; they are beneficial to all the parts of the habitable world ; and 
every climate enjoys all the happiness of which it is susceptible. But 
he who lives in a temperate climate most sensibly experiences the pro- 
vidential and guardian care of our Creator, who has distributed to us 
cold and heat, in the wisest proportion, with a mercy that claims our 
gratitude and love. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 303 

AUGUST XXI. 

DIVERSITY OF PLANTS. 

The vegetable kingdom is particularly deserving of attention on 
account of the great variety in plants, with respect to their parts, 
fructification, and properties. 

The manner in which fructification is performed in several plants 
is very obscure. We know very little of its process in mosses, mush- 
rooms, and ferns. Some plants exhibit singular monstrosities. We 
see flowers which have no tops ; there are some out of the middle of 
which other flowers spring. Certain plants, called sleepy plants, 
take a different situation at the approach of night from that which 
they had during the day. Others turn towards the sun ; and some 
shrink and contract upon being touched. Some flowers open and shut 
at regular hours, or during particular states of weather ; and some 
bud, blossom, bear fruit, and lose their leaves, earlier than others. 
Plants also differ according to the particular place in which they grow. 
They were all originally wild, that is, they once grew spontaneously 
without culture. 

The Creator has assigned to plants that climate which best suits 
their particular nature, and where they will soonest arrive at perfec- 
tion. But those which are exotics may be naturalized among 
us, and succeed very well, provided they receive a proper degree of 
warmth. 

One of the most pleasing characteristics of plants is their great 
diversity of form. If we compare the most perfect species with those 
which are least so, or if we only compare together the different spe- 
cies of the same class, we shall be struck with admiration at the 
astonishing variety which nature has produced in the vegetable king- 
dom. If we only consider the numerous tribe of mushrooms, or the 
different species of plants termed imperfect, we cannot but admire the 
great fecundity of nature in these vegetable productions, which differ 
so much from all others that they can scarcely be ranked among the 
number of plants. 

If we rise some degrees higher in the scale of plants, we contem- 
plate with pleasure those which have stalks ; from the grass which 
grows among stones, to that inestimable plant which is the chief 
source of our nourishment. We next observe the great variety of 
creepers ; from the tender bind- weed to the vine. 

Another most admirable thing in the garden of nature is, that in 
alt this variety the most perfect harmony reigns. All plants, from 
the hyssop which grows on the wall to the cedar of Lebanon, have 
the same essential parts. A little herb is as completely formed as the 
most, beautiful rose ; and the rose as the most lofty oak. In all are 
observed the same general laws of growth and increase, and yet each 
species is distinct. Out of so many thousand plants, there is not 
one which does not possess a distinct character, properties, mode of 



304 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

receiving nourishment, of growing, and propagating itself. What 
inexhaustible riches we discover in their forms, colours, and propor- 
tions ! What pleasure we receive from observing their varieties, and 
beholding the beauties of the vegetable kingdom ! Our soul, de- 
lighted with the prospect, raises itself towards God, the Father and 
Creator of nature, whose bounty is every where manifest ; whose 
power has produced all these plants, and whose wisdom has arranged 
them in order and beauty. 



AUGUST XXII. 

REFLECTIONS UPON THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 

The animal kingdom may be considered as a well-regulated state, 
in which is a suitable number of inhabitants, each having an allotted 
place ; faculties necessary to perform their requisite duties, and re- 
wards and punishments to excite them to action ; with a sufficient 
protection against their different enemies. In this republic of ani- 
mals, those which are the weakest, and they are by far the greatest 
number, are obliged to submit to the strongest ; and all are under sub- 
jection to man, as the representative of the Deity. The inhabitants 
of the animal kingdom find in all parts of the earth a sufficiency of 
food and employment. They are dispersed in every direction, and 
their nature, constitution, and organs, are adapted to the different 
abodes assigned them. 

Their employments are various, and tend either to increase their 
species, to provide for their subsistence, or to defend themselves 
against their enemies. All the parts of their bodies are adapted to 
their peculiar nature and functions. They possess certain instincts 
which compensate for their deprivation of reason ; instincts which 
are diversified in various ways, according to their necessities ; in- 
stincts for motion ; instincts to enable them clearly to discern their 
food, to seize, and to prepare it ; instincts to construct nests and suit- 
able habitations ; to propagate their species, to defend themselves, 
and to secure shelter from danger, &c. 

In each class of animals there are some that live upon prey, seizing 
the individuals that superabound in other classes. Each species has 
its peculiar enemies ; hence none of them increase too much, and a 
proper proportion is maintained. Animals that are weak, or have 
some defect, are commonly the first which fall a prey to others ; de- 
cayed fruits and carcasses are devoured, by which means the earth is 
not troubled with them ; the air is not infected ; and the purity and 
freshness of nature are preserved untainted. 

Beasts of prey have a structure adapted to their mode of life ; they 
have great strength, agility, industry, and cunning. But that they 
may not destroy the whole tribe of animals, they are restricted within 
certain limits. They do not multiply so fast as other animals ; and 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 305 

they often destroy one another, or their young ones become the vic- 
tims of savage rapacity. , 

Some animals sleep during the winter, and live upon the fruits of 
the earth. Weak animals are provided with the means of defence 
proportionate to their place of abode, and the dangers to which they 
are exposed ; their natural weapons, their agility, their hiding-places, 
and their cunning, preserve them from destruction : and thus the 
proper balance is maintained between every species of the brute 
creation. 

Animals are in some measure obliged to perform the functions as- 
signed them ; because upon this their comfort depends. They find 
their advantage in following the laws which nature has prescribed for 
them ; and cannot transgress them without subjecting themselves to 
various evils. The class of mammalia are the largest in size as well 
as fewest in number, and they fulfil very important functions. Birds 
perform various offices ; they eat superfluous grains, devour dead car- 
casses, and diminish the number of insects. The greater part of am- 
phibious animals live upon prey. The least animals are the most 
numerous, and very voracious. 

All that we see so admirable in the animal kingdom demonstrates 
the existence of a superior Being who is all-powerful, and infinitely 
wise. For who besides could have peopled this vast globe with so 
many living creatures of such different kinds, or provided them with 
all that is necessary to their life and well being 1 Who but an Omni- 
potent Being could have supplied all the wants of the numerous ani- 
mals that exist ] Or who else could have given them so much saga- 
city and industry ; so much address and instinct ; assign to each liv- 
ing creature its peculiar element ; form all the limbs, joints, bones, 
muscles, nerves, and vessels ; unite them with so much harmony 
and perfection, that each animal can perform its different motions in 
the manner best adapted to its particular manner of life, and the cir- 
cumstances in which it is placed 1 



AUGUST XXIII. 

DIVISION OP THE EARTH. 

All the known world is divided into four principal parts; Europe, 
Asia, Africa, and America. Europe is the smallest. Its length 
from east to west is about three thousand miles, and its breadth from 
north to south about two thousand five hundred. Its inhabitants 
possess various countries in the three other quarters of the globe, and 
nearly half the earth is under their subjection. The Europeans tra- 
verse every part of the globe, and receive the produce of every clime. 
They are the most enlightened of any people upon the earth, and 
cultivate the arts and sciences with the greatest success. Europe is 
the only quarter of the globe that is every where cultivated, and co- 
26* 2 



306 STURIVPS REFLECTIONS. 

vered with towns and cities ; the only part whose inhabitants support 
an uninterrupted commerce with each other, and who profess, with 
only some slight variations,. the same religion, The three other quar- 
ters are inhabited by a number of different people, who have little 
connexion together, scarcely know one another, and differ as much in 
their manners as in their religion and mode of living. 

Asia is the largest continent known ; its length, from the Darda- 
nelles on the west, to the eastern shore of Tartary, is four thousand 
seven hundred miles ; and its breadth, from the southern extremity 
of Malacca to the most northern cape of Nova Zembla, is four thou- 
sand three hundred and eighty miles. As the countries situated in 
the interior of this part of the world are not visited by the refreshing 
sea-breeze, nor watered by many rivers — as they contain far extend- 
ing plains and barren mountains, the heat and the cold are both ex- 
tremely intense ; the earth has scarcely any fertility, and is never 
cultivated. 

At present these regions are only inhabited by people who dwell in 
tents, and lead a wandering life, which seems to be rendered neces- 
sary by nature. The more settled inhabitants of Asia often suffer 
from the restless unquiet disposition of these wandering tribes. The 
northern part, which is full of lakes, marshes, and forests, has never 
been regularly inhabited. But the southern, eastern, and western 
parts are the finest countries in the world ; particularly those situated 
towards the south : they are most luxuriantly fertile, producing in 
lavish abundance every thing that is necessary for the comforts of 
life. 

Africa is a peninsula of very great extent ; stretching from Cape 
Bona north, to the Cape of Good Hope south, four thousand three 
hundred miles ; and its breadth, from Cape Verd to Cape Guardafui, 
is three thousand five hundred miles. It is under the torrid zone, 
and contains vast sandy deserts, mountains of a stupendous height, 
forests burning beneath the ardent sunbeams, and monsters of every 
description. The excessive heat enervates all the faculties of the 
soul. We know very little of the interior parts of the country ; and 
though so contiguous to Europe, very few well-regulated states have 
yet been discovered. 

America, the largest division of the known world, and only disco- 
vered by Europeans within the last three centuries, is composed of two 
great continents, separated by a narrow isthmus, which is surrounded 
by a number of islands. The cold which reigns in the northern parts, 
the few useful productions found there, and its distance from inhabited 
countries, are the causes why it is not yet entirely known ; but there 
is reason to believe that the natives are not civilized. 

Forests and marshes still cover a great part of the country, and the 
eastern parts are the only ones cultivated. In South America there 
formerly existed considerable empires ; the rest of the country was 
inhabited by wild people. The serpents, reptiles, and insects, are 
much larger than the greatest that are known in Europe. America 
contains the largest extent of country in the world, with proportion- 



STURM J S REFLECTIONS. 307 

ably the fewest inhabitants. If we calculate the number of leagues 
contained in these four parts of the earth, they will seem very consider- 
able ; and yet altogether they will not amount to the fourth part of 
the whole globe, which, great as it is, appears small when compared 
with the immense bodies in the heavens. It may, however, justly be 
regarded as a vast theatre, where the wonders of God are continually 
displayed ; and as we can know very little of the worlds around us, 
let us endeavour to become acquainted with that which we inhabit. 



AUGUST XXIV. 

OF THE NATURE AND PROPERTIES OF LIGHT. 

Though we continually experience the utility of light, we cannof 
precisely determine its nature. All that the greatest philosophers 
have said of it is conjectural. Whether it is a fluid surrounding our 
earth, and which, to become perceptible, requires being agitated and 
put in motion by the sun or some other inflamed body ; or whether it 
is fire itself, which by .the emanation of its infinitely subtile particles 
gently strikes the eyes at a certain distance ; is still a question among 
philosophers : though the former hypothesis seems to be the most pro- 
bable and the best' supported. There is certainly a considerable dif- 
ference between fire and light, the latter being infinitely more subtile ; 
it instantly penetrates glass and other diaphanous bodies, whilst fire 
does it much more slowly, which proves that the pores of glass are 
large enough to admit light to pass freely, but obstruct the less subtile 
particles of fire, which also move much slower than light. When 
burning coals are brought into a room, it is slowly and gradually 
warmed ; but the instant a lighted taper is brought in, the whole 
apartment is suddenly illuminated. From this and some other facts, 
we may conclude that fire and light are different substances, though 
generally accompanying each other, and one often producing the 
other. 

The properties and effects of light ate very remarkable. The 
rapidity with which it passes is prodigious ; being only seven or eight 
minutes in its progress from the sun to the earth ; in this short space 
of time traversing several millions of leagues. The observations of 
astronomers farther inform us, that the rays of a fixed star, before they 
reach us, must traverse a space which a cannon-ball, shot with the 
greatest velocity, could not pass through in less than one hundred 
and four thousand millions of years. The expansion of light is not less 
astonishing. The space through which it is diffused is not less than 
the universe itself, and too great for the human understanding to 
comprehend. This boundless diffusion of light enables us to discover 
the very remote bodies in the heavens ; and could we obtain glasses 
of sufticient power, we might discern those which are still more distant 
in the vast regions of space. 



308 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

Though our faculties are too confined to. embrace all the designs of 
the Deity respecting the nature and properties of light, by investigat- 
ing it with attention we may obtain considerable information upon so 
important a subject. Why, for instance, does light move with such 
velocity, and penetrate every part, but that a variety of objects may 
be perceived at the same time by a great number of people, and that 
distance may not prevent their being seen 1 If the propagation of the 
rays of light was slower, great inconveniences must result to the 
inhabitants of the earth ; the force and splendour of light would be 
much diminished and enfeebled ; the rays much less penetrating ; 
and darkness would slowly and with difficulty be dissipated. Why 
are the particles of light so extremely subtile, but to paint the minutest 
objects upon the retina ? Why have they not more density, but that 
they may not dazzle us by their splendour, and injure the eye by 
their power ? And why are the rays so refracted, if not to enable us 
more easily to distinguish objects ? 

Thus we find the Creator and Parent of mankind ever operates for 
our good and advantage, and all his arrangements are wise and bene- 
ficial. Had he not created light, we could not have enjoyed life ; we 
should have been deprived of every external source of pleasure, and 
our understanding and improvement must have been reduced within 
very narrow limits. 



AUGUST XXV. 

STRUCTURE OP BIRDS. 

Birds may unquestionably be ranked among the most beautiful 
creatures of the earth. The form of their bodies, even in the minutest 
particulars, is so perfect and regular, as at once to convince us of the 
wisdom of the Creator. They have bones like the mammalia, but 
they are differently clothed. Their bodies are covered with feathers 
fastened to the skin, lying upon each other in regular order, and fur- 
nished with a warm and soft down. The large feathers are covered 
above and below with smaller ones, and each consists of a quill and 
beard. The lower part of the quill is hollow, and by it the feather 
receives its nourishment ; toward the top it contains a kind of marrow. 
The beard is a range of small thin flakes, closely connected at the 
edges. Instead of having fore-legs like a quadruped, birds have wings 
composed of eleven bones, in the muscles of which the feathers 
enabling them to fly are fixed. The structure of these wings is very 
curious, and admirably adapted to their purpose. Between them the 
body is perfectly balanced, and placed in the most convenient manner 
for the different motions it has to perform. The heads of birds are 
small ; by which neither the action of the wings nor the progress of 
the birds through the air is retarded. Their tails are useful in pre- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. . 309 

serving their balance whilst flying-, and to assist them to ascend and 
descend in the air. Their legs, from their particular situation, are 
well adapted to preserve the centre of gravity ; and in some birds they 
are placed so far back as to enable them to swim. The thighs are 
clothed with muscles and feathers, whilst the legs are generally thin 
and without covering. Most birds have four toes, three before and 
one behind ; at the end of which are claws, which they use to seize 
their prey and food. Some birds feed upon animals ; others on plants, 
grains and fruits, which they steep and soften in their crop ; whence 
only a small part of the aliment passes at a time into the stomach, 
which in this species of birds is very small, and composed of very 
strong muscles ; these assist in grinding the food, and small stones or 
gravel are also swallowed to promote digestion. The stomachs of 
birds of prey are much weaker. 

All birds are constructed with such wisdom, that they are enabled 
to pursue their particular mode of living and obtaining food with great 
facility. The stork and the heron, which obtain most of their food in 
marshy places, have a long beak and long legs, that they may run 
in the water and readily seize their prey. The eagle and the hawk, 
which only live by rapine, are provided with large wings, strong 
claws, and sharp beaks. The bill of swallows is small and pointed, 
and their mouth large, to enable them to catch the insects which they 
meet when flying. The swan has a reservoir in its windpipe, whence 
it draws air while its head and neck are plunged under water seeking 
its food. Many small birds, which fly and hop among thickets, have 
a membrane over their eyes to defend them from injury. Each is 
perfect in its kind, and admirably constructed. The variety is very- 
great and beautiful ; and we must always admire the wisdom of God 
in this part of the creation, which we contemplate with such peculiar 
delight. 



AUGUST XXVI. 

REFLECTIONS UPON THE SKY 

Whoever attentively regards the heavens must be struck with 
admiration at the view of this magnificent work of the Creator. How 
beautiful is the azure vault suspended above the earth ; in the day 
variegated by clouds, and by night resplendent with thousands of 
stars, and luminous with the moon's silvery radiance ! We contem- 
plate this grand spectacle with awe and sublime emotion ; we consider 
with wonder the immensity of space, whose beginning and end we 
cannot discover, where orbs innumerable, of different degrees of mag- 
nitude, roll their spheres one beyond another in their prescribed circles, 
till distance forbids the eye to penetrate farther in the boundless 
expanse ; and the mind owns its limited powers, whilst it ponders in 



310 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

silent astonishment upon the Supreme Being who made the heavens 
and the earth. 



AUGUST XXVII. 

MORAL REFLECTIONS UPON A FIELD OF CORN. 

As the corn-field, often threatened with danger, and exposed to the 
rude visitation of the tempest, is yet preserved in safety to yield its 
rich stores to the husbandman ; so the human mind, visited by afflic- 
tion, and shaken by the storms of adversity, still bears up against the 
blast, and is strengthened and purified by the fierce contention. In 
the moments of sorrow, when care and trouble oppress us, our know- 
ledge, faith, and humility, are increased and confirmed ; for though 
like the tender stalk of corn we bend whilst the blast sweeps over us, 
the compassionating hand of God gently raises and consoles our 
afflicted hearts. 

The time of harvest approaches, the corn ripens fast, the sun's 
warmth and soft showers descend to hasten its maturity. May we 
also, as each succeeding day brings us nearer to our end, become more 
mature in all good, and prepare to be gathered unto our fathers in 
eternal glory. Whatever be" our situation in this state of existence, 
whether cheered by prosperity, or darkened with impending evils ; 
may all our actions tend to the glory of God, and the promotion of 
piety. 

As those stalks which bear the largest and finest ears of corn bend 
beneath their treasure, whilst those which are poor and light stand 
erect and overlook the field ; so we may observe men, vain and pre- 
sumptuous, without knowledge and virtue, proudly hold up their 
heads, and contemptuously look down upon those whom religion 
teaches to be humble, and whose learning has estimated the limits of 
human attainment, and the insignificance of vanity. 

All the corn which is to be reaped is not equally good ; tares and 
weeds are mixed with it; and so with men, they blend together both 
good and bad qualities ; and their natural corruption often retards 
their progress in virtue. The dissipated and the wicked, by their 
pernicious examples, often sow tares in the field, where none but good 
seed ought to grow. The master of the field permits them to remain 
for a season, and patiently waits the arrival of the harvest, before he 
exercises that impartial justice which separates the good from the bad. 
The sickle mows down the corn, and the fruits of the earth are 
joyfully gathered. Death levels with the dust the rich and the poor, 
the high and the low, the wicked and the righteous ; and happy will 
be the hour in which those who have preferred the pure light of 
religion to the delusions of error, are received into the regions of glory, 
and numbered among the spirits of just men made perfect. They 
will gratefully remember the storms, the dangers, the trials, and the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 311 

afflictions through which they have been preserved, and they will 
joyfully unite with angels in glorifying the God of Heaven. 



AUGUST XXVIIL 

SHELL-FISH* 

Shell-fish, or testaceous animals, form a very considerable part of 
the animal kingdom. They live in shells formed of a calcareous 
matter. These are either univalve, of one piece ; or bivalve, and 
multivalve, of two or several pieces. Testaceous animals form two 
great families : that of muscles, the shells of which are of more than 
one piece : and that of snails, whose shell is of one piece, and spiral. 
The structure of the former is the most simple. Muscles have neither 
head, horns, nor jaws : a mouth, windpipe, and sometimes a species 
of foot, is all that can be distinguished in them. The greater part of 
the snail species have, on the contrary, a head, horns, eyes, and a foot. 

Shell-fish differ considerably in their mode of generation. In some 
the sex may be discovered ; others are hermaphrodites ; and in some 
no particular sex can be distinguished. Some are oviparous; others 
viviparous. They are born with their shell ; and as they grow, the 
shell, the interior of which is lined with a fine membrane, increases 
both in thickness and circumference. The shells are formed by a 
viscous liquid which exudes from the animal, and gradually thickens 
and becomes harder. Shell-fish live both in fresh water and the sea ; 
near the shore as well as in the main ocean : some are carnivorous, 
and others eat vegetables : some keep at the bottom of the sea, or 
adhere fast to the rocks. Oysters, and some others with hard shells, 
attach themselves to different bodies, and remain firmly united to them 
by means of a glutinous gritty liquid : and they are often cemented 
fast to each other. This adhesion is voluntary in some shell-fish, 
which have the power of fastening themselves as occasion may re- 
quire : but in others it is involuntary ; and they always continue to 
the rocks on which they first fastened. 

The knowledge that we have of these various animals is still very 
imperfect. As they generally live below the surface of the water, it 
is difficult to make exact observations upon their structure, mode of 
receiving nourishment, of propagating, and of moving, &c. ; and as 
yet very few classes of them are known. But little as is our acquaint- 
ance with them, it is sufficient to make us admire the infinite grandeur 
of God. How immense is his empire ! We every where find creatures 
which testify his power and wisdom. How beautiful is the variety 
we observe in the form, richness, and colour of shells, which human 
art can never equal ! 



312 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

AUGUST XXIX. 

UPON THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD. 

A God, who from his supreme elevation, could be an indifferent 
spectator of all the revolutions which take place in the world, would 
not be worthy of our homage. Happily for us, the government of our 
God whom we adore embraces the whole creation. We every where 
find the centre of his empire, but can no where discover its limits. All 
his works are continually before his view : he at once perceives the 
past, the present, and the future ; and comprehends all their hearings 
and dependences. Nothing, however trivial and minute, escapes his 
notice ; every thing concurs to perfect the plan he has formed, and to 
complete his wise purposes, which all tend to the advantage and feli- 
city of his creatures. All his laws are uttered in wisdom, and his 
commandments are a source of joy and happiness. 

God, by his providence, preserves every creature which he formed 
in the beginning of the world. As one animal dies, another supplies 
its place ; and one generation of men succeeds another. The master 
of the world makes use of inanimate creatures to preserve those which 
live ; he subjects all to man, who, of all created beings, is the only 
one that is capable of knowing and worshipping the infinite God ; 
who, all pure and holy himself, also wills that his rational creatures 
should know and feel the beauty of holiness. By the continual proofs 
which he gives them of his love for goodness, and abhorrence of evil, 
he speaks to their hearts, and unceasingly exhorts them to walk in 
the path of virtue ; to this end he directs their actions, renders their 
designs abortive when they are contrary to his merciful views, and 
offers them the means of avoiding the snares of iniquity. 

How infinitely wise were the measures which he used to conduct 
the children of Israel to the blessed ends that he proposed ! In vain 
did the nations wrapped in idolatry oppose the progress, and conspire 
the destruction of a people who marched under the eternal banners of 
their God, and followed a pure and holy religion, which pre-eminently 
distinguished them from, and raised them above, all the surrounding 
nations, blinded by superstition, and persisting in their errors. 

The God of our faith dwells in light inaccessible ; the wisdom of 
his government is too profound for human nature to penetrate ; our 
understanding is not capable of comprehending all his plans, or to 
form just ideas of his views before the event has unfolded them ;< and 
our knowledge is too limited to scan the counsels of an infinitely wise 
Being, and to discover beforehand the motives of his conduct and 
dispensations. The seat of the wicked is often with princes, whilst 
the righteous man hides his head in the dust: villany triumphs, and 
integrity is oppressed ; fortune smiles upon iniquity, and the friend of 
religion experiences disappointment and adversity. Yet there is a 
Providence, a Father tender of his creatures, a God infinitely wise, a 
King just and righteous. All his dispensations are worthy of adora- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 313 

t'ion, however impenetrable they may appear. His counsels are 
marvellous, his plans past finding out ; but they are always formed 
and executed with supreme wisdom : and let us in silent reverence 
adore our God, and question not his ways, though affliction may visit, 
and misfortune bear heavy upon us. 



AUGUST XXX. 

HARVEST HYMN. 

Our fields, crowned with blossoms and ears of corn, are as a hymn 
of praise to the Creator ; the joy which sparkles in the eyes of the 
reaper is a hymn to the God of nature. It is he who causes bread to 
spring out of the earth, and who loads us with his blessings. Come, 
Jet us assemble and sing unto our God ; let his praise ever be the 
subject of our songs ; let us listen to the glad voice which rises from 
the bosom of our fields, * the year shall crown thee with its blessings, 
O world, whose happiness is my work. I have called forth the spring, 
the harvest is the work of my power ; the fields which support thee, 
and the little hills covered with corn, are mine.' O Lord, we behold 
thy majesty, and feel the value of thy beneficence. By thee we exist; 
our life and preservation are thy gifts. Blessed be the fields that 
nourish man ! Flourish, ye beautiful meadows ! Be covered with 
thick foliage, ye forests ! And thou, great God of nature, be ever 
beneficent towards thy creatures, and suffer thy children to repeat — 
the God of heaven is their Father ! 



AUGUST XXXI. 

THANKSGIVING FOR GOD'S PROVIDENTIAL CARE OP HIS CREATURES. 

Lord God ! my redeemer, my rock, and sure protector ! Thou 
alone art worthy to receive glory, honour, and praise ! My soul blesses 
thee, and I will, declare thy wonders. I will rejoice and be glad in 
thee, and will celebrate the name of the most high God. 

I thank thee for that immortal soul which thou hast given me ; 
which thou hast redeemed by thy blessed Son, and sanctified by thy 
grace. 

Eternal Source of life and happiness ! it is by thee that I exist, 
and I will for ever bless thy holy name. I thank thee for that pa- 
rental care which provides my daily support, and for all thy number- 
less blessings. I thank thee for those dear connexions thou hast 
enabled me to form ; and for the glorious hope of finally experiencing, 
when my mortal career is terminated, the blessed inheritance of the 
just in the everlasting kingdom of joy and celestial beatitude, where 



314 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

my now feeble accents will join the loud anthem swelling from my- 
riads of angels that harmonious sing thy praise in endless felicity. 



SEPTEMBER I. 

HYMN IN PRAISE OP THE MOST HIGH. 

Sing with holy rapture, sing a new song to our God. The Lord is 
great ! Let us for ever celebrate that Being who is all good, all wise, 
and from whose eyes nothing can be hid. 

He has extended the starry sky, as a pavilion over our heads. 
There, encompassed by the radiance of innumerable suns, he has 
established his throne ; there he dwells in light inaccessible to 
mortals. 

God, I am lost in this splendour : but thou, in thy infinite good- 
ness, art continually present. Ravished with the wisdom of thy ways, 
and penetrated with admiration, I praise and exalt thy holy name. 

1 glorify thee, who governest the earth with paternal care, who en- 
lightenest it by the beams of the star of day, who waterest it by the 
rains, who refreshest it by the dew. 

Thou coverest it with smiling verdure ; thou crownest it with 
flowers ; thou enrichest it with harvests ; and thou renewest its orna- 
ments and blessings year by year. 

Thy cares extend to all that exists, and the least of thy creatures 
is the object of thy benevolence. The young raven, which cries to 
thee from the summit of the snow-capped rock, is sustained by thy 
hand. 

Thou commandest the cooling stream to flow from the bosom of 
the desert mountains : thou orderest the sun to mature the vines 
which adorn our hills, and to ripen the fruits which enrich our 
orchards ; thou sendest the breeze through our forests. 

When thy sun arises to enliven the world with the splendour of his 
fires, he invites thy creatures to labour ; every thing is active in na- 
ture till the moment in which the shade and the silence of night 
bring the desired repose. 

But when the day begins to dawn, the choir of birds breaks the still- 
ness of the grove with songs of gratitude and joy : then all the na- 
tions of the world, all the regions under heaven, lift up one concert of 
praise unto thee. 

To thee they raise the voice of thanksgiving, Father of all beings ! 
thou lovest them all, thou loadest them with thy gifts, thou hast de- 
signed all men for happiness, provided that they themselves wish to 
be happy. 

May thy name be glorified throughout all the worlds which form 
thy empire ! and let every voice conspire in one universal hymn to 
extol thee, the all-wise, the all-beneficent Deity ! 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 315 

SEPTEMBER II. 

THE OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD. 

Thou art every where present, O Almighty God ! Yes, thou art 
here, thou art afar off, thou fillest the universe. Here grows a flower ; 
there shines a sun ; 'thou art there, thou art also here. Thou art in 
the breeze and in the tempest ; in the light and in the darkness ; in 
an atom and in a world. Thou art here in this flowery valley ; thou 
lendest thine ear to my feeble accents, and thou hearest from the foot 
of thy throne the sublime songs which accompany the harps of the 
seraphim. O thou, who art the God of the seraphim ; thou art also 
my God, thou hearest also the joyful notes which pervade the air 
from yonder lark, and the humming of this young bee which flutters 
on the rose. Omnipresent Being, as thou hearest me, deign likewise 
to grant my request; may I never forget that I am in thy sight ; may 
I always think and act as being in thy presence, to the end that when 
summoned to appear at the tribunal of my Judge with the whole 
world of spirits, I may not be constrained to flee from before the face 
of the Holy of holies. 



SEPTEMBER III. 

THE BEAUTY AVD VARIETY OF BUTTERFLIES. 

Let us observe these beautiful creatures whilst they yet enjoy their 
transitory existence; the examination may perhaps be interesting 
both to the mind and to the heart. 

The first thing which attracts our attention on beholding these 
aerial inhabitants, is the clothing with which they are adorned. Yet 
some of them have nothing very striking in this respect to engage our 
notice ; their vestment is plain and simple ; others have a few orna- 
ments on the wings ; but with some those ornaments amount to pro- 
fusion, and they are covered with them all over. Let us reflect 
awhile upon this last species. How beautiful are the gradations of 
colour which decorate them ! What harmony in those spots which 
relieve the other parts of their attire ! With what delicacy has nature 
pencilled them ! But whatever may be my admiration when I con- 
sider this insect by the naked eye, how greatly is it augmented when 
I behold this beautiful object through the medium of the microscope ! 
Would any one ever have imagined that the wings of butterflies were 
furnished with feathers 1 Nothing however is more true, and what 
we commonly call dust is found in reality to be feathers. Their 
structure and arrangement are as full of symmetry as their colours 
are soft and brilliant. The parts which form the centre of those little 
feathers, and which immediately touch the wing, are the strongest ; 



316 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

those, on the contrary, which compose the exterior circumference are 
much more delicate and of an extraordinary fineness. All these fea- 
thers have a quill at their base, but the superior part is more transpa- 
rent than the quill from which it proceeds. If we lay hold of the 
wing too rudely, we destroy the most delicate part of the feathers ; 
but if we remove all that we term dust, there remains only a thin 
transparent skin, where may be distinguished the little orifices in 
which the quill of each feather was lodged. This skin, from the na- 
ture of its texture, may be as easily discerned from the rest of the 
wing as a fine gauze from the cloth on which it is fastened : it is more 
porous, more delicate, and seems as if embroidered by the needle ; to 
complete its beauty, its extremity finishes by a fringe whose minute 
threads succeed each other in the most regular order. 

What are our most elegant dresses, what is all their boasted orna- 
ment, in comparison of that refined tissue with which nature has in- 
vested this simple insect % Our finest laces are only like coarse cloth 
when brought to vie with that luxuriant clothing which covers the 
wings of the butterfly, and our smallest thread, compared with their 
infinitely delicate fibres, appears like hempen cord. Such is the won- 
derful difference to be observed between the works of nature and those 
of art, when viewed through a microscope. The former are finished 
to all imaginable perfection ; the others, even the most beautiful of 
their species, appear incomplete and coarsely wrought. How fine a 
piece of delicate cambric appears to us ! Nothing more slender than 
the threads, nothing more uniform than the texture ; and yet, in the 
microscope, these threads resemble hempen strings, and we should 
rather be tempted to believe that they had been interlaced by the hand 
of a basket-maker, than wrought on the loom of a skilful weaver. 

What is most astonishing in this brilliant insect, is, that it proceeds 
from a worm whose appearance is mean and vile. Behold how the 
butterfly displays its gay wings before the sun ; how it sports in his 
rays, how it rejoices in its existence, and flutters from flower to flower. 
Its wings present to us the magnificence of the rainbow. How beau- 
tiful is the butterfly now, which but a little while ago crept in the form 
of a worm in the dust, in perpetual danger of being crushed to death ! 
Who has raised it above the earth 1 Who has given it the faculty of 
inhabiting the ethereal regions'? Who has furnished it with its painted 
wings ] It is God ; that sovereign Lord who is its creator and mine. 
In this extraordinary insect we are presented with an emblem of that 
transformation which awaits the righteous. Yes, the day will come, 
when quitting their present form, they shall cease to grovel upon the 
earth ; when, holy and glorious, they shall be lifted above the clouds, 
and, nothing limiting their flight, they shall soar beyond the stars. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 317 

SEPTEMBER IV. 

THE GROWTH OF TREES 

Bvery tree, however luxuriant its branches may be, receives its 
principal nourishment from its lower parts ; and it is probable that 
its juices circulate in a manner analogous to that of the blood in ani- 
mals. The extremities of the roots form a prodigious mass of spongy 
fibres and of globules of air, which are constantly open to imbibe the 
juice which the earth affords them. This juice is at first only water 
impregnated with earthy matter ; then, by means of a sort of milky 
substance, which is peculiar to each tree, and which distinguishes it 
from others, the juice acquires a nutritive quality before it ascends into 
those parts of the tree which are elevated above the surface of the 
earth. We find, by the aid of the microscope, that wood, notwith- 
standing its hardness, is nothing more than an assemblage of an in- 
finite number of minute, hollow fibres. The greater part of them, 
especially in shrubs, ascend perpendicularly ; but in order to give 
more consistence to these fibres, there are in certain trees, particularly 
in such as are designed to be more strong and hard, tubes which ex- 
tend horizontally from the centre to the circumference. Influenced 
by the heat of the sun, the sap rises, by degrees, into the branches 
and into all their minute and multiplied ramifications ; in the same 
manner as the blood, issuing from the heart, is carried by the arteries 
and the veins into the most distant extremity of the animal body. 
When the sap has been sufficiently diffused through all the parts 
which required its circulation, the remainder of it fills certain large 
vessels which are placed between the inner and outer bark ; and hence 
arises the annual growth and consequent thickness of the tree. To 
be convinced of this, it is sufficient to cut a branch transversely, by 
which we shall ascertain the age of the tree. Whilst the trunk from 
time to time increases in height and bulk, the roots continue a pro- 
portional growth, and gradually strike a deeper hold and multiply 
their supporting fibres. As to the exterior bark, it seems destined to 
serve $ as a kind of garment to the tree, to unite securely together its 
component parts, and to preserve its more delicate but essential ones 
from external accidents, and from the inclemency of the air. 

Thus has the all-wise Creator formed an admirable system of solid 
and fluid matter in order to give life and growth to those trees which 
adorn our plains, which lend their friendly shade to our flocks, to our 
shepherds, and to our cottages, and which afterward serve so many 
purposes useful to man. Here we discover a wisdom which never 
fails, whilst it prescribes to nature laws in certain prospects, immu- 
table, which act without interruption under the eye of Providence. 
A wisdom so profound, a skill so marvellous, so many preparations 
and combinations for each tree, ought to excite us more and more 
fervently to admire and venerate the creative hand. The contem- 
plation of this wisdom is a most delightful study, and we shall find 



318 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

ourselves animated by it to glorify that God, who is so great in his 
counsels and plans, and so wonderful in their execution ; the more 
we discover the traces of this wise Providence, the more shall we be 
impelled to commit all our interests into the hands of him who can 
never want means to turn every thing to the good of his creatures ; 
the more, in fine, shall we be encouraged to raise our affections to- 
wards him, to supplicate him to enrich our souls with the gift of wis- 
dom, and to make them grow in grace. 

May we, in our moral and intellectual progress, resemble the 
growth of the trees ! As they from year to year put forth new shoots 
towards heaven, as they extend around them fresh branches, laden 
with leafy honours, and with the richer burden of nutritious fruits, so 
may our souls be gradually elevated to more heavenly heights ! May 
they attain a continually increasing light, and in "their intercourse 
with mortals present a succession of virtues which shall for ever aug- 
ment in brightness and in power ! Whilst we are thus internally for- 
tified to bear with firmness the storms of life, and whilst we are 
taught to receive them with salutary humility, as visitants kindly sent 
from heaven to loosen us from the world, may we never find an em- 
blem of our state in the ancient tree, which, in proportion to its age, 
always attaches itself the more strongly to the earth ! 



SEPTEMBER V. 

THE ANT-LION. 

No insect is more remarkable for its dexterity than the ant-lion, 
though its figure announces nothing extraordinary. It nearly resem- 
bles the woodlouse ; its body, which is composed of several membra- 
neous rings, and terminated in a point, is provided with six feet. Its 
head, flat and square, is armed with two moveable, crooked horns, 
whose singular structure shows how admirable nature is, even in the 
least of her works. 

This insect is the most subtle and dangerous enemy the ant has ; 
the plans which he forms to ensnare his prey are very ingenious; He 
mines a portion of earth in the form of a funnel, at the bottom of 
which he waits to seize the ants which coming by chance to the edge 
of the precipice, are thence hurried down to their merciless foe. In 
order to dig it, he first traces in the sand a circular furrow, whose 
circumference forms precisely the mouth of the funnel, the diameter 
of which is always equal to the depth he gives to his ditch. When 
he has fixed on the size of this opening, and traced the first furrow, 
he digs a second concentric to the other, in order to throw out all the 
sand contained in the first circle. He performs all these operations 
with his head, which serves him instead of a shovel, and its flat and 
square form admirably adapts it to this purpose. He also takes some 
sand with one of his fore-feet to throw it beyond the first furrow ; and 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 319 

this work is repeated till the insect has reached a certain depth of 
sand. Sometimes in digging he meets with grains of sand larger 
than usual, or with little bits of dry earth, which he will not suffer to 
remain in his funnel ; of these he disencumbers himself by a sudden 
and well-timed manoeuvre of his head. Should he find particles yet 
larger, he endeavours to push them away with his back, and he is so 
assiduous in his labour that he repeats it six or seven times. 

At length the ant-lion begins to enjoy the fruits of his toil. When 
his nets are once well laid, he has nothing to do but to put himself on 
the watch ; accordingly, motionless and concealed at the bottom of 
the ditch which he has dug, he patiently waits for the prey which he 
cannot pursue. If any ant is inadvertently drawn to the borders of 
this fatal precipice, it generally rolls down to the bottom, because the 
brink is made sloping ; and thus the sand giving way beneath its 
feet, the little insect is forced to follow the dangerous declivity till it 
falls into the power of its destroyer, who, by means of his horns, 
draws it under the sand and feasts upon its blood. When he has 
sucked all the juices from the body, he contrives to eject from his 
habitation the dry and hollow carcass ; repairs any damage his trench 
may have sustained, and puts himself again in ambush. He does 
not always succeed in seizing his prey at the moment of its fall ; it 
frequently escapes him, and endeavours to remount the funnel ; but 
then the ant-lion works with his head and causes a shower of sand 
to descend upon his captive, and precipitate it once more to the 
bottom. 

All the actions of this little animal display an art so extraordinary, 
that we might long examine them without being wearied. The ant- 
lion employs itself in preparing trenches even before it has seen the 
animal which it is to ensnare, and which is to serve for its nourish- 
ment ; and yet its actions are so well regulated, that they could not 
be better adapted to accomplish these purposes. 

How would an animal, so destitute of agility, have been able to 
entrap its prey more easily, than by digging in a moveable sand and 
giving a sloping declivity to the funnel 1 What better stratagem could 
it have devised for covering the ants which were on the point of escap- 
ing, even from this skilfully constructed snare, than in overwhelming 
them with showers of sand, and thus cutting off all hopes of a re- 
treat 1 All its actions have fixed principles by which they are directed. 
The trench must be dug in the sand, or it could not answer the de- 
sired purpose : he must, according to the structure of his body, work 
backwards, and use his horns like a pair of pincers, in order to throw 
the sand over the brink of the funnel. The instinct which governs 
this insect discovers to us a first cause, whose intelligence has foreseen 
and ordained every thing that was necessary for the preservation and 
well being of such an animal. The skill, which it evinces is not the 
fruit of experience and of exercise ; it commences with its existence. 
We must therefore seek its origin in the wisdom, the power, and the 
goodness of that Supreme Being, who has proportioned the instinct 
of animals according to their several wants. 



320 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

These considerations offer a new encouragement to glorify him, 
who is the Creator of man as well as of the minute insects we have 
been contemplating !. Beneficent source of life, thoulovest to diffuse 
it abroad, and thou hast formed this humble receptacle of it in such a 
manner that its existence shall be blessed ; thou hast furnished all 
the means requisite to its enjoyment of life, and by the instinct with 
which thou hast endowed an animal, otherwise so impotent, it arrives 
at a skill which approaches to reason, and in some measure even sur- 
passes it ! And what has been the design in all this, but to furnish 
us, even by the most despicable creatures, with opportunities of 
knowing thee ] To this purpose let us devote our studies of nature ; 
and then every branch of them, however insignificant their objects 
may appear, will elevate our thoughts towards thee, who hast created 
the small worm as well as the huge elephant, and who extendest thy 
cares with equal benignity to the one and to the other. 



SEPTEMBER VI. 

CONFORMITY BETWEEN PLANTS AND ANIMALS. 

It is often extremely difficult to determine the precise difference 
between plants and animals. Nature descends by imperceptible 
degrees from animal to vegetable existence ; and, to distinguish the 
exact limits of these gradations, nothing short of an angel's penetra- 
tion would suffice. And we may remark, that, notwithstanding all 
the differences between these two species of organized bodies, we may 
still find in them much resemblance. 

The seed is to the plant, what the egg is to the animal. From the 
former springs the stalk which was before concealed under its coats ; 
and this stalk makes an effort to raise itself out of the earth. In like 
manner, the animal, enclosed in the egg, breaks the shell, in order to 
breathe the open air. The eye or bud of the tree is in the vegetable, 
what the embryo is in the animal kingdom : this eye does not pierce 
through the bark till it has acquired a certain thickness, and it then 
remains attached to it in order to receive nourishment from it as well 
as from the fibres of the plant. 

The embryo, at the end of the appointed time, comes forth from 
the womb ; and would soon perish, were it not sustained by its mother. 
The plant is supported by the alimentary juices which are brought to 
it from without, and which passing through various channels, are at 
length changed into its own substance. The nourishment of the 
animal is affected in a similar manner. It also receives its nourish- 
ment from without, and after having passed through different vessels, 
is transformed into animal substance. 

The fecundation of the germ takes place in the vegetable kingdom 
when the dust of the stamina penetrates into the pistils ; and fecunda- 
tion among animals is produced when the seminal liquor penetrates 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 321 

into the ovaries or matrix. The multiplication of plants is effected 
not only by seed and by ingrafting, but also by slips. In like manner 
animals are propagated, not only by laying eggs, and bringing forth 
their young alive ; but also by slips, as in the case of the polypus. 

The diseases of plants arise from causes sometimes external, some- 
times internal ; and it is. the same with those of animals. To conclude, 
death is common to them both, when old age, having hardened and 
obstructed the vessels, the circulation of the juices is necessarily 
stopped. Plants and animals are situated in the same places. The 
earth, both on its surface and within its bosom, the air, the sea, and 
the rivers, are alike filled with animals and with plants. Both are 
extremely numerous, though animal rather than vegetable forms 
seem to bear the preponderance. 

Thus one might be almost tempted to believe that animals and 
plants were beings of the same class, since nature seems to pass from 
one to the other by imperceptible degrees, and that even when she 
has risen by this gradation to the most obvious difference, she still 
connects the two orders together by a very striking similarity in all 
her principal operations. Of this at least we are certain, that some 
general and essential resemblances have been found in the two king- 
doms ; but that hitherto the truly characteristic differences have never 
been clearly ascertained. And though some should be discovered 
which have not yet been observed, we must always acknowledge that 
nature diversifies her works by gradations so fine and delicate, that 
the human mind can with difficulty discern them. And who knows 
what discoveries maybe reserved for posterity 1 Perhaps futurity will 
bring to light plants whose properties will approach still nearer to 
those of animals ; perhaps some animals may be discovered which, 
even more closely than the polypus, will be allied to the class of 
vegetables. 

Let us endeavour to make that use of these facts for which all the 
truths of nature and of revelation are designed, even to draw from 
them continued incitements to glorify God and to strengthen our 
minds in virtue. Let the great resemblance which we find between 
animals and plants, render us sensible to the power and wisdom of 
that Being who, on all his creatures, has in some measure impressed 
the character of infinity. But, O man, learn to be humble. Thou 
participatest in the nature of plants, and in that of animals ; to Jesus 
alone thou art indebted for thy elevation, and a much higher affinity, 
art lifted up from thy corporeal relation with the beasts that perish to 
a spiritual union with angels, whose perfections thou art called upon 
to imitate, with assurances that thy endeavours will be rewarded with 
a perpetual approximation towards their excellence. 



»a 



322 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

SEPTEMBER VII. 

THE NATURE AND PROPERTIES OP SOUND. 

Sounds are produced by means of the air •» but it is necessary for 
this purpose that the air should be put into motion. Not that the 
agitation of the air alone occasions a sound, for in that case all wind 
would be attended with a noise. To produce sound, the air must be 
suddenly compressed, that it may afterward dilate and expand itself 
anew by its own elastic force. Thus a sort of tremulous undulation 
takes place, something similar to those, waves and concentric circles 
which appear on the water after a stone has been thrown into it. But 
if this undulatory movement took place only in those particles of air 
which are compressed, the sound would not reach our ears. It is 
necessary, therefore, that the sonorous body, after having made its 
impression on the air contiguous to it, should continue the impression 
from particle to particle, in a circular direction to all parts. 

By means of this propagation, the last vibration is communicated 
to the air immediately surrounding our ear, and we have then the 
perception of sound. With such amazing celerity is this chain of 
successive motions formed in the atmosphere, that sound is known to 
travel at the rate of a thousand feet in the space of a second, and in 
consequence, a German league in twenty seconds. This calculation, 
which has been verified by a multitude of experiments, may be useful 
in many cases ; the knowledge of it contributes to our security in 
teaching us how far the thunder is distant from us, and consequently 
in apprizing us of our danger or safety in the place where we hear it 
roll. We have only to number the seconds, or to count the strokes 
of our pulse between the flash of lightning and the clap, and we may 
immediately ascertain the precise distance of the thunderbolt. By 
the same means we may determine the respective distances of differ- 
ent places ; as well as that which separates two ships. It is very 
remarkable, that a weak sound propagates itself with the same 
velocity as one that is strong. The agitation of the air is, however, 
greater in proportion to the strength of the sound, because a larger 
volume of air is put into motion. Sound is therefore loud when many 
particles of air are in motion, and weak when it is confined to a few. 

But what benefit could we derive from those observations which 
philosophers have made upon the nature and properties of sound, if 
our bodies were not so constituted as to enable us to receive the per- 
ception of sound ] Let us then praise God, who has not only disposed 
the air in such a manner as to produce sound by its vibrations, but 
has also given us an organ capable of receiving every sonorous impres- 
sion, from the deep and awful roar of the tempest which rages over 
the billowy bosom of the sea, to the gentle whisper of the breeze 
which refreshes without agitating the fair and delicate forms of vernal 
nature. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 32$ 

A thin, elastic membrane, stretched at the bottom of the ear, like 
the parchment over a drum, receives the vibrations of air, and thus 
enables us to distinguish every species of sound. Thus far our know- 
ledge of this subject extends ; but if we enquire by What means, on 
the pronunciation of a word, our minds immediately form the idea of 
a word, and not of a simple sound, or why a tone can actuate our 
souls and create in them so many different notions, we are compelled 
to acknowledge our ignorance. Yet in this, as in every thing else, 
where our researches are shut in by the contracted limits of our finite 
nature, we ought to rest satisfied in the conviction of the wisdom and 
the goodness of our Creator. Had not sound existed, all mankind 
would have been mute, and alike inadequate to all the purposes of 
speech as the inarticulate babe which is yet insensible to the noble 
talent it will presently possess. By means of sound, every creature 
is able to make known its wants or express its happiness. 

Man derives from this privilege advantages to which no other ani- 
mal can aspire. He can at once express all the sentiments of his 
heart, and excite what passion he pleases by certain modulations of 
his voice. God has not only conferred upon us the power of distin- 
guishing sounds by the organ of hearing, he has also furnished us 
with the means of preserving this precious faculty. When one ear 
has become injured, the other refuses not *its services, but in some 
measure performs a double duty, and supplies the place of its suffer- 
ing companion ; as all our powers, whether mental or corporeal, im- 
prove by exercise, and quicken in their sensibility of the different ob- 
jects to which they are applied, when the sense of hearing loses its 
wonted acuteness, the acoustic horn is often found to be of great be- 
nefit. Should it even happen that the external auditory tube be in- 
jured, the internal one, which terminates in the mouth, may probably 
have continued unhurt. 

Another source of comfort in that wonderful chain of blessings 
which takes its origin from the simple faculty of sound, is the power 
of music. A multitude of harmonious instruments are formed to 
recreate and to charm us, and we listen with delight to their various 
tones, which we are enabled to discriminate with nicety and precision. 
Thus has our beneficent Creator condescended to minister even to our 
pleasures. With what grateful sentiments ought we then to approach 
his throne, inspired by the contemplation of those refined joys of which 
we are made susceptible through the influence of music. May the 
recollection of so elevated a privilege never cease to impress our minds 
with the fervour of pious thankfulness ! May hymns of gratitude be 
resounded far as sound can traverse and air continue its vibrations i 
May the universe echo to his praise, and heaven and earth listen to 
the wonders which Omnipotence has performed for man ! 



324 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

SEPTEMBER VIII. 

THE MYSTERIES OF NATURE. 

When men attempt to investigate things, and to penetrate into the 
causes of those effects which they have witnessed, they are com- 
pelled to acknowledge how weak and limited are their understand- 
ings. The knowledge we have of nature, of which we are some- 
times so vain, extends little farther than to a superficial acquaintance 
with the effects of a few things which are immediately under our 
notice ; and which we are able, in a certain degree, to apply to our 
own advantage. But to reach the causes of those effects, or to know 
how they operate, generally exceeds the grasp of our finite faculties. 
There are a thousand effects in nature which remain concealed from 
us : and in those which we are able to develop, a degree of obscurity 
almost always impedes our researches, and reminds us that we are 
but men. There are many phenomena of whose immediate causes 
we are ignorant ; many others are doubtful ; those which we do know 
are very few. 

We hear the wind blow ; we experience its powerful and various 
effects ; but we know not exactly what produces it, what augments 
its violence, and what appeases it. From a small seed we see a plant 
spring with stalks and ears ; and we know not by what means. Still 
less can we comprehend how a plant can spring from a small kernel 
and grow into a large tree, in the branches of which the birds make 
their nests ; which covers itself with leaves, and with blossoms to re- 
fresh and to charm us, which gives us fruit for our nourishment, and 
wood for our various wants and conveniences. All the aliments 
which we use and which are of such different natures, are by an in- 
comprehensible mechanism transformed within us into one substance ; 
and this substance assimilates with our flesh and blood. We see the 
wonderful effects of the loadstone, and we believe that there must be 
a certain matter which operates in it ; but whether it acts by an at- 
tractive power peculiar to itself, whether it is a sort of fluid perpetu- 
ally circulating about the loadstone, or whether it forms a kind of 
vortex, we are unable to determine. 

We feel the cold, but hitherto no naturalist has found out the cause 
of its production. We know more respecting the nature of thunder 
and lightning than our ancestors did ; but to ascertain what that 
electric matter is which displays itself with such sublime terrors in 
the storm, eludes our feeble perceptions. We know that the eye 
recognizes the images which are painted on the retina, and that 
the ear is susceptible of the vibrations of the air ; but how shall 
we discern what those perceptions are and how they are formed ] 
We are conscious of the existence of the soul in the body ; but 
who shall explain the nature of their union and of their recipro- 
cal influences 1 The effects of fire and air are continually before us ; 
but what is their precise nature, what are their integral parts, and 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 325 

how do they produce their different effects ? In a word, on the greater 
number of objects we have no sure and incontestable principles to 
satisfy our inquiries : they begin with conjectures, and they termi- 
nate, at best, in probabilities. What are the hypotheses of philoso- 
phers but so many tacit confessions of the confined limits of their 
knowledge ] At every step nature presents us with wonders which 
confound and astonish us ; and however deep our researches, however 
extensive our discoveries, still a thousand treasures of nature must 
ever remain covered with that mysterious veil, which cannot be drawn 
aside by the efforts of finite reason. It is true, we sometimes arrive 
at the power of giving happy explications to certain phenomena ; but 
the principles, the first causes, their nature, and their manner of ope- 
ration, are always elevated above the sphere of our intelligence. 

The mysteries of nature every day impart to us lessons of wisdom 
on the subject of the mysteries of religion. In nature God has put 
immediately within our reach the means of passing happily our tem- 
poral life, although he may have hid their sources from us. Thus 
also in the kingdom of grace, he has furnished us with the powers 
necessary to the attainment of a spiritual and eternal life, whilst yet 
the. manner of their operation remains concealed from us. Nobody 
refuses to eat and drink because he is unacquainted with the compo- 
sition of the aliments which preserve his life and strength : neither 
does any one neglect to sow or plant because he has no just idea of 
the manner in which vegetation operates ; nor shall we find any per- 
son so ridiculous as to reject the use of the wool which his sheep pro- 
vide for him, merely because he knows not how it is produced. The 
extravagance of man rises not to this height. On the contrary, he 
is attentive to the productions of nature ; experience shows him their 
utility, and he avails himself of it with gratitude to his Creator. But 
how shall we account for a conduct so opposite to this with regard to 
the mysteries of grace 1 Why are disputes entertained on the nature 
of the means of salvation, on their efficacy, and their mode of opera- 
tion, whilst they neglect that salutary application of them for which 
they are designed ? Why are we not as wise in spiritual things as in 
those which are temporal, and which * perish with the using V In- 
stead of giving up ourselves to vain and idle speculations, let us be 
prevailed upon to lay hold of those gracious privileges which God has 
vouchsafed to us, and serve him with cheerfulness and fidelity. This 
is the purpose for which we are sent into a world replete with won- 
ders, in a state of being which admits not of their solution, and not 
to trifle away our time in unprofitable researches and too curious dis- 
quisitions. If we meet with things which we cannot comprehend or 
penetrate, let us receive them with humility, and acknowledge in 
them the proofs of the feebleness of our understanding. It is suffi- 
cient that the advantage which accrues to us from the good use we 
make of them, convinces us that they are the work of a Being infi- 
nitely wise and beneficent. 

God forbid that we should be so presumptuous as to induge the 
hope of being able to fathom the mysteries of nature or of grace ; 



326 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

and let us be very careful not to censure what we cannot comprehend. 
Let us rather avow the weakness of our judgment, the blindness of 
our understanding, and, in the deepest prostration of soul, acknow- 
ledge the immensity of the Deity. Thus shall each mystery awaken 
adoration to that Being whose works are marvellous beyond human 
penetration, and whose wisdom infinitely transcends the brightest in 
telligence of man. 



SEPTEMBER IX. 

EYES OF ANIMALS. 

The mere consideration of the eyes of different species of animals, 
is sufficient to convince us of the wisdom with which God has formed 
the bodies of his creatures. He has not given to all the organs of 
sight in the same manner, but has diversified them according to their 
different natures. 

The eyes of most animals appear to be round ; but even in this 
spherical figure there is considerable variety. Their situation in the 
head, near the brain, is subject to many variations. Man and the 
greatest part of quadrupeds have six muscles attached to each eye, by 
which they are enabled to move it from one side to another. The 
position of the eyes is such, that they can look straight forwards and 
almost describe a half circle. But in this there is some variety. 
Horses, oxen, sheep, swine, and most quadrupeds, have a seventh 
muscle to suspend and support the globe of the eye ; and this is the 
more necessary because their head and eyes are inclined towards the 
earth, particularly when they feed. 

The eyes of frogs differ from ours ; for they can cover them with a 
transparent membrane, though of a close texture ; this defends their 
eyes, and preserves them from the dangers to which animals in their 
particular way of life are exposed, living partly on land, and sometimes 
under water. Flies, gnats, and other similar insects, have a more 
perfect sight than other creatures ; they have nearly as many eyes as 
there are apertures in their cornea ; and whilst animals which have 
only two eyes are obliged to turn towards the objects they design to 
perceive by means of muscles ; flies see very distinctly all round them 
without impediment, and without the necessity of moving their eyes, 
because one or other of these is continually directed towards the sur- 
rounding objects. Fish, which live in an element more dense than 
ours, could see nothing, and would be blinded by the strong refraction 
of the rays of light, though they have two well-formed eyes, if their 
crystalline humour was not spherical, by which they are enabled the 
better to collect the rays of light. They have no eyelids, and they 
cannot draw back their eyes ; but their cornea, which is almost as 
hard as horn, preserves them from all danger. The mole was for- 
merly supposed to be blind ; but it is now discovered that it has ex- 



STURM 7 S REFLECTIONS. 327 

tremely small black eyes, not larger than a pin's head. As this ani- 
mal is almost always under ground, its eyes are defended from injury 
by being thus small, deep in the head* and covered with hair. The 
eyes of snails are placed at the extremities of their horns, which they 
can draw within their heads, or push out to discover distant objects. 
In some animals whose head and eyes are fixed and incapable of mo- 
tion, this defect is compensated either by their superior number of eyes, 
or in some other way. The spider has four, six, and sometimes eight 
eyes, all placed in the front of a small round head without a neck ; 
they are transparent and sparkling as diamonds. According to the 
mode of life and different necessities of certain species of spiders, 
their eyes are differently distributed in their head, that their sight 
may be extended to all sides, and that without moving their head 
they may discover the flies which they wish to ensnare. The came- 
leon, a species of lizard, has the singular property of moving one of 
its eyes whilst the other remains motionless ; of turning one upward 
whilst the other looks down upon the ground ; and of seeing at the 
same time both what is before it, and what behind. We observe the 
same faculty in some birds, and in hares and rabbits, whose eyes are 
convex ; this peculiar property preserves them from many dangers, 
and enables them more easily to discover their food. 

All these examples, and a much greater number might be given, 
evidently manifest the tender cares of Providence for the preservation 
of the most necessary organs. He has communicated the blessing of 
light to his creatures in different ways ; and we are struck with ad- 
miration, when we consider the wonderful art displayed, and the pre- 
cautions taken to preserve the possession of this precious organ, and 
to defend it from the dangers to which it is exposed. The situation 
of the eyes, their arrangement, number, and figure, in all animals 
could not have been differently disposed without the greatest inconve- 
nience being felt. It is not merely for ornament and beauty, but for 
the benefit and advantage of the animals, that the Creator has made 
so much diversity in the structure and position of their eyes. Let the 
foregoing observations teach us to acknowledge and to celebrate the 
wisdom of God in all things ; and seriously to consider the ends 
which he has proposed in the creation, that we may more and more 
magnify and exalt his power and goodness. 



SEPTEMBER X. 

FISH. 

Unless we had seen fish, it would have been impossible to believe 
that such creatures existed. If a naturalist, who was only acquaint- 
ed with land-animals, were told that a species of creatures inhabited 
water, so formed, that they could live, move, and propagate, and fulfil 
all the animal functions in that element, would he not treat such in- 



328 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

formation as unworthy of belief, and conclude from what happens to 
our own bodies when immersed in water, that it would be impossible 
for any animal to live and breathe long in a watery medium ! 

The way in which fish live, their structure, their motion, and pro- 
pagation, are very curious, and afford fresh proofs of the wisdom and 
power of God. That animals may live in water it is necessary that 
their bodies be very differently constructed from those which live only 
upon land. And this peculiarity we find when we examine the exte- 
rior and interior structure of fish. Why have most fish a slender thin 
body, flattened on the sides, and pointed towards the head, but to 
enable them to swim, and more easily cut through the water 1 Why 
are they covered with scales, if not that their bodies may be defended 
from the pressure of the water 1 Why are many fish, particularly 
those which are destitute of scales, enveloped with a smooth oily co- 
vering, but to preserve then from injury, and to keep them warm 1 
Their bones are peculiarly light and flexible : their eyes are deep in 
their head, and their crystalline humour is spherical, that they may 
be secured from injury, and more able to concentrate the rays of light. 
Their fins are their only limbs, and by them they perform their differ- 
ent motions. By means of their tail fin, they move forward ; their 
back fin directs the motion of their bodies ; their breast fin enables 
them to rise, and their belly fin preserves their balance. The gills are 
their organs of respiration ; they are placed behind their head ; and 
there are four of them on each side ; of which the uppermost are the 
largest. They continually take in water by their mouth, which is 
their inspiration, and evacuate it through the gills, which is their expi- 
ration. The blood which proceeds from the heart, and which passes 
through the veins of the gills, does not return through the lungs to 
the heart, as in terrestrial animals, but is directly distributed to every 
part of the body. The organ most essential to fish in swimming is 
the air-bladder enclosed in their belly, and communicating with their 
stomach. By means of this bladder, they can make their body more 
or less heavy ; when it is inflated they become lighter, rise, and can 
swim near the surface of the water ; but when it is contracted, and 
the air is compressed, the body becomes heavier, and sinks in the wa- 
ter. If the bladder is pricked with a pin, the fish immediately falls to 
the bottom, and cannot again rise to the surface. 

The immense number of fish, and their great variety of shape and 
size, also merit our attention. In the waters of Germany only there 
are more than four hundred different species of fish ; and how nume- 
rous must be the individuals of each species ! Their figure also is 
much varied. We see among fish the greatest as well as the smallest 
animals. Some are long and fine as a thread ; others. ohort and broad ; 
others are flat, round;, triangular, &c. and some are arn.cd with a 
horn ; others with a species of iword ; and others with a kind of saw. 
Some have nostrils through which they evaluate the superfluous wa- 
ter they have swallowed. We have m all this abundant cause to 
admire the power and wisdom of the G.eator, so eminently displayed 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 329 

in the formation of these animals, and to be grateful for his goodness 
in giving them all for our use. 



SEPTEMBER XL 

OF THE PROPAGATION OP ANIMALS. 

It was once supposed that vermin, insects, and even some quadru- 
peds, were generated from putrefaction, without the interposition of 
other animals of the same species ; but this opinion, so contrary to 
reason, is refuted by the most incontestable experiments. It is now 
generally understood that all animals are capable of producing others, 
and that this propagation is generally effected in two ways ; by eggs, 
and by producing the young ones alive. All animals that give milk, 
or of the class of mammalia, are viviparous. All birds are oviparous ; 
but their eggs, before they are capable of producing young creatures, 
must be impregnated by the male. In most animals it is necessary 
for the male and female to unite together ; fish only seem to be an 
exception to this rule. They have not been known to couple, but 
the male is supposed to impregnate the eggs after they have been 
spawned. 

Fish are the most prolific of all animals ; their multiplication is 
astonishingly great. It has been ascertained that the pike lays three 
hundred thousand eggs, the carp above two hundred thousand, and 
the mackerel near half a million. The eel is viviparous. Most am- 
phibious animals propagate their species like others, except that some 
of them resemble fish in this particular. Some are viviparous, and 
others oviparous ; the latter however do not hatch their eggs, but 
leave them to the warmth of the air, or water ; and others deposite 
them in dunghills. 

Worms are both viviparous and oviparous ; most of them, if not all, 
are hermaphrodites, partaking of the nature of both sexes, with the 
power of self impregnation. The distinction of sexes is very evident 
in most insects ; though in some no sex can be observed, and others 
seem to combine both sexes in one body. Insects are generally ovipa- 
rous ; though some are viviparous. The eggs of the former are hatched 
by the warmth of the air. The insect called the leaf-louse, or blight, 
is viviparous ; an insect of this species taken at the time of its birth, 
separated from all intercourse with insects of the same species, and shut 
up perfectly alone, will nevertheless produce young ones. This takes 
place in the following manner : In spring, and during summer, the 
females of this class of insects bring forth their young without 
previous union with the male ; they are then viviparous. A single 
one will produce a hundred more in less than than three weeks. All 
that are born in this season are females : the males are produced in 
autumn ; at which time they couple, and the females lay eggs, which 
are hatched in spring. Thus one junction of the male and female 
28* 2R 



3S0 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

produces several generations, the individuals of which are impregnated 
in their mother's eggs also. 

When we reflect on this variety in the propagation of animals, we 
must be convinced of the power and wisdom manifested in an extra- 
ordinary degree. The instinct which leads the two sexes to unite 
together is truly admirable, and is a natural propensity, not produced 
by any external or adventitious circumstances. Most animals have 
a precise time for bringing forth their young, and every thing that is 
known with respect to this part of the animal economy displays an 
equal wisdom with the rest of nature's works ; and we have great 
reason to be thankful that the different species of animals are pre- 
served by means of that instinct, which induces them at certain 
periods to unite together for the preservation and continuance of their 
race. 



SEPTEMBER XII. ! 

INFLUENCE OF THE MOON UPON THE HUMAN BODY. 

Formerly certain influences were ascribed to the moon, tending to 
nourish superstition and occasion idle fears. The gardener would not 
plant till he had made observations on the moon, and the husband- 
man would not sow till he was assured of the happy influence of this 
planet. Those who were sick paid a strict attention to the variations 
of the moon, and even physicians regarded their influence as an object 
worthy of notice. As knowledge became more generally diffused, 
these prejudices began to disappear ; and the influence of the moon is 
no longer considered so powerful and universal an agent in nature as 
was formerly imagined. The present age is less superstitious than 
the last; and it is the duty of every man to use all his exertions in 
separating truth from error, and to rescue his fellow-creatures from the 
despotic sway of blind superstition. With regard to the effects of the 
moon on the human body, some caution is requisite before we pro- 
nounce a decided opinion upon it ; for totally to deny such an influence 
would be as irrational as to attribute to it a very great power and 
action. We must allow that the moon produces great changes in the 
air, and hence may occasion certain alterations in our bodies. The 
moon may cause, in the superior part of the atmosphere, such con- 
siderable motions and alterations, as to produce winds, heat, cold, 
exhalations, mists, &c. by which the health of our bodies may be 
greatly- affected. It is observed that people labouring under certain 
infirmities experience exacerbations, and more acute pains, at the new 
and full moon. And if it is true that a cold moist air, and foggy 
stormy weather, have very different effects upon the body than a 
warm, dry, and serene air, it is by no means surprising that the moon 
has an influence upon our constitution, seeing that it so considerably 
affects the state of the air. The action then of this planet upon the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 331 

human body cannot be disputed, because it is founded on a certain 
principle, which is, that our health greatly depends upon the weather, 
and the constitution of the air we breathe, and these are materially 
affected by the moon. 

In general we ought to admit it as a principle, to the glory of our 
Creator, that in all natural things there are certain connexions which 
influence the animal economy in various ways. There are doubtless 
in the atmosphere many wonders unknown to us, and which may 
occasion considerable revolutions in nature ; and there may certainly 
occur many phenomena in the corporeal world which are influenced 
by the moon. The light reflected from her during the. night is probably 
one of the least of the purposes she answers ; and her being placed 
so near to the earth was perhaps to produce certain effects upon it, 
which the other planets could not do, because of their greater distance ; 
for we have reason to believe, that every thing in our system has 
wome relation to our globe. The beauty of the universe consists in the 
diversity and harmony of the several parts which compose it ; in the 
nature of their effects, and in the total of happiness which results 
from the various combinations. If then we believe that God has 
arranged all, and established the connexions which exist among the 
spheres, we shall banish from our minds eveiy superstitious fear of the 
influence of the moon and planets, and shall no longer suffer vain 
terrors to pervade our hearts ; but we shall be convinced such ideas 
are contrary to divine wisdom ; and as we become persuaded that he 
who governs all things with infinite goodness and power, operates 
only for the happiness of his creatures, we shall confide in him with 
certainty, and repose upon his parental regard with joyful and heart- 
felt gladness. 



SEPTEMBER XIII. 

THE MINERAL KINGDOM. 

We require many materials to enable us to procure wholesome and 
convenient dwellings. If these materials had been scattered over the 
face of the earth, considerable inconvenience would have been expe- 
rienced, and plants and animals would scarcely have had sufficient 
room. But happily our earth is free from such encumbrance. Its 
surface may be traversed by its inhabitants, or cultivated without any 
hinderance. Metals, stones, and several other substances which we 
continually use, are. enclosed beneath our feet in immense receptacles, 
whence we extract them when we want them. These bodies are not 
concealed in the centre of the earth, nor are placed at an inaccessible 
depth ; they lie beneath the surface, which covers them as a dome, 
and which, whilst it is sufficiently thick to produce nourishment for 
man, is thin enough to be readily dug through ; so that we can obtain 
the substances contained in these vast storehouses of nature. 



333 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

All the substances in the mineral kingdom may be divided into 
four classes, each having its distinguishing characteristic. The first 
class includes the earths. This name is given to such bodies as are 
not dissolved by water, fire, nor oil, which are not malleable, and bear 
the action of fire without losing any of their substance. This class, 
besides the simple earths, includes the stones which are composed of 
them. Of stones, there are two kinds, precious and common ; the 
latter are the most numerous, and present us with masses differing in 
figure, colour, size, and hardness, according to their component parts. 
There is also a considerable diversity among precious stones. Some 
are perfectly transparent, and these appear to be the most simple ; 
others are more or less opaque, according to their particular compo- 
sition. 

Salts form the second class in the mineral kingdom. They are 
divided into acids, which are sharp and sour ; and into alkalies, which 
impart to the tongue a bitter, burning, and lixivial sensation ; these 
have the property of changing vegetable blues into green, whilst the 
acids convert blue into red. A certain combination and mixture of 
these two different salts, form what are called neutral salts. Among 
these is classed common or kitchen salt, which is extracted from the 
earth, or prepared from sea-water by evaporation. All these salts are 
one of the principal causes of vegetation. They also probably serve 
to unite and strengthen the parts of plants, as well as of other com- 
pound bodies; and they produce fermentation, the effects of which 
are so various. 

The third class of the mineral kingdom comprehends those inflam- 
mable bodies, which are generally called bitumens. These burn in 
the fire, and when they are pure dissolve in oil, but never in water. 
They differ from other minerals, by containing more of inflammable 
matter, which renders those bodies in which it is found in a sufficient 
quantity combustible ; and there is more or less of it in all bodies. 

The fourth class contains the metals. These are the heaviest of 
all bodies ; they become fluid if exposed to the action of a strong heat, 
and resume their solidity when cooled. They are resplendent and 
malleable. Some of them when melted in fire experience no dimi- 
nution of weight, nor any sensible alteration ; and these are called 
the perfect metals ; of which there are three species, gold, silver, and 
platina. The imperfect metals are destroyed more or less readily by 
the action of the fire, and are converted into oxides. One of these, 
lead, has the property of being converted into glass, and of vitrifying 
all other metals, except gold and silver.- The imperfect metals are 
five in number, viz. mercury or quicksilver, lead, copper, iron, and 
tin. There are besides other metals distinguished from these in being 
neither ductile nor malleable ; these are called semi-metals, and are 
seven in number, platinum, bismuth, nickel, arsenic, antimony, zinc, 
cobalt** 

* The division of metals into perfect and imperfect, into metals and semi-metals, is 
now generally discarded. Since the author wrote the above, more metallic substances 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 333 

The whole mineral kingdom may be regarded as the workshop of 
nature, where she secretly labours for the benefit of the creation ; but 
we are ignorant of the way in which she operates, and we cannot 
discover how she forms the various substances which she presents to 
us. We are not well acquainted with the surface of the earth, much 
less do we know the interior. The deepest mines are not more than 
six hundred and thirty fathoms below the surface, and that is not the 
six thousandth part of the earth's diameter. This alone is sufficient 
to convince us of the impossibility of having an exact knowledge of 
the nature and formation of the various substances in the mineral 
kingdom. But fortunately, in the use which we make of the gifts of 
nature, it is of little consequence whether or not we are exactly ac- 
quainted with their origin and first principles. It is sufficient for us 
to know how to apply them to the most beneficial purposes ; and we 
know enough of them to be convinced of the glory of the Creator, 
whose power, wisdom, and goodness, are manifest in every thing above 
or beneath the earth. 



SEPTEMBER XIV. 

EXOTIC PLANTS. 

Men never regard with sufficient attention the gifts of God, parti- 
cularly those which come to us from distant countries. If we con- 
sidered how much labour and industry are required before we can ob- 
tain a little sugar, or cinnamon, we should not receive the gifts of 
nature with such unconcern as we generally do ; but we should look 
up with gratitude to that Supreme Being who makes his blessings 
flow to us through so many channels. At present let us consider 
those foreign productions which have become so necessary to us, and 
without which we should feel much inconvenience. From such a 
consideration useful reflections may arise, and we shall probably 
regard with more pity our unfortunate brethren who are condemned 
to slavery, and whose severe labours procure us so many luxuries. 

Sugar is found in a certain reed which is principally cultivated in 
Brazil and the neighbouring islands ; and it also abounds in the East 
Indies, and some of the African islands. The preparation of sugar 

have been discovered, and for the reader's information I have inserted, from Thompson's 
Chemistry, the following more complete arrangement. 



I. Malleable. 


II, Brittle and easily 


III. Brittle and difficultly 




fused. 


fused. 


1 Gold 6 Iron 


1 Bismuth 


1 Cobalt 


2 Platinum 7 Tin 


2 Antimony 


2 Manganese 


3 Silver 8 Lead 


3 Tellurium 


3 Tungsten 


4 Mercury 9 Nickel 


4 Arsenic 


4 Molybdenum 


5 Copper 10 Zinc 




5 Uranium 

6 Titanium 

7 Chromium 



334 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

does not require much art ; but it is very laborious, and is chiefly per 
formed by slaves. When the canes are ripe, they are cut down, and 
carried to the mill to be bruised, that the juice may be extracted from 
them. This juice is first boiled, by which means it is prevented from 
growing sour and fermenting. When it boils they skim it, take off 
all impurities ; and this boiling is repeated four times in four different 
vessels. Still further to clarify and purify it, they throw into it a 
strong lye of wood-ashes and quick-lime; and lastly, they cast it into 
moulds, that it may coagulate and dry. 

Tea is the leaf of a shrub which grows in Japan, China, and other 
parts of Asia. These leaves are gathered two or three times during 
the spring. Those of the first gathering are the finest and most deli- 
cate, and constitute what they call imperial tea ; but it never comes 
to Europe, that which the Dutch sell under that name is only the 
second gathering. 

Coffee is the kernel of a fruit resembling a cherry. The tree which 
bears it is a native of Arabia, but it- has been transplanted into many 
warm countries. Next to Arabia it flourishes best in the island of 
Martinique. The kernel which is found in the middle of the fruit ia 
called a berry ; when fresh it is yellowish, gray, or pale green, and it 
preserves this colour when it is dry. The fruit is spread on mats for 
the purpose of being dried in the sun ; it is then bruised with rollers, 
that the fruit may be separated from the kernel ; and hence it is that 
each berry is divided into two halves. The kernel is dried a second 
time before they are shipped. 

Cloves are the buds or dried blossoms of a tree which formerly 
grew without culture in the Molucca islands ; but the Dutch have 
since transplanted it to Amboyna. The tree itself resembles the lau- 
rel in size and form ; its trunk is covered with bark like the olive-tree. 
White flowers grow from the extremity of the branches. At first the 
buds are of a pale green, they then become yellow, afterwards red, 
and at length of a dark brown, such as we see them. They have a 
more penetrating aromatic odour than the mother clove, which is the 
dry fruit of the same tree. 

Cinnamon is the second or inner bark of a species of laurel or bay- 
tree which grows chiefly in the island of Ceylon. The root of the 
cinnamon tree is divided into several branches, arid is covered exter- 
nally with a grayish bark ; but the inner bark is red. The leaf would 
resemble that of the laurel, if it was shorter and less pointed. The 
flowers are small and white, with an agreeable fragrance like that of 
the lily. When the tree has attained some years growth, the bark is 
stripped off, and the outer bark being good for nothing is thrown away ; 
the inner bark is dried in the sun and rolled up in sticks, and is then 
what we call cinnamon. 

Nutmegs and mace are the produce of a tree which grows in the 
Molucca islands. The nut is covered With three rinds ; the first of 
which falls off when the nut is ripe ; and then the second, which is 
very thin and fine, appears ; this is detached with much precaution 
from the fresh nut, and exposed to the sun to dry. In the Molucca 






STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 335 

islands it is called mace, and here it is erroneously termed the nut- 
meg blossom. The third bark immediately covers the nutmeg itself, 
which is taken out of its shell and put into lime-water, where it 
remains for some days, and is then sufficiently prepared for expor- 
tation. 

Cotton grows in most parts of Asia, Africa, and America. It is 
the fruit of a kind of pod, which, when ripe, opens and presents a 
flock of extremely white down, and this is called cotton. When the 
pod is swelled by the heat it becomes as large as an apple. By 
means of a little mill they make the seed fall on one side, and the 
cotton on the other. It is afterward spun for different works. ' 

Olive oil is the expressed juice of the fruit of the olive-tree, which 
is very abundant in France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. The inha- 
bitants of the countries where these trees abound make use of the oil 
instead of butter, because the grass being withered by the heat, they 
are not able to keep many cows. 

Pepper is the fruit of a shrub whose stalk requires a prop to support 
it. The wood is knotty like the vine, to which it bears a near resem- 
blance. The leaves, which have a powerful smell, are oval, and ter- 
minate in a point. In the middle, and at the extremity of the 
branches, are white flowers, whence the fruit grows in bunches, each 
fruit bearing from twenty to thirty peppercorns. 

It is highly pleasing to reflect upon the great variety of aliments 
designed to afford us pleasure, as well as support* The grateful mind 
loves to consider those blessings which the divine bounty has so abun- 
dantly bestowed upon us. Every country contributes to our necessi- 
ties and comfort : the most distant climates yield us their rich stores, 
and whilst we enjoy them at our ease, let us not forget those suffering 
and hard-labouring people, who have been torn from their homes, and 
seen their dearest ties snapped asunder, to drag out a miserable exist- 
ence in providing for the luxuries of men, who call themselves Chris- 
tians 



SEPTEMBER XV. 

THE STRENGTH OF MAN COMPARED WITH THAT OF ANIMALS. 

Though the human body appears to be more delicate than that of 
most animals, it is yet much stronger in proportion to its size than 
that of the most vigorous animals. A man's strength is best esti- 
mated by the weight he is able to carry. If it was possible to unite a 
single point, or in a single effort, all the strength that a man exerts 
in a day, it would be found that the weight he could lift every day a 
foot from the ground, without injuring himself, would be equal to one 
million seven hundred and twenty-eight thousand pounds. Men ac- 
customed to hard labour can generally carry a burden of one hundred 
and fifty or two hundred pounds weight, without much exertion ; and 



336 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

common porters often carry loads from seven to eight hundred pounds 
weight. The size of a man's body in proportion to that of a horse is 
as one is to six or seven ; if then the strength of the horse was pro- 
portioned to that of a man, he ought to be able to carry a load of 
twelve or fourteen thousand pounds weight. But no horse can carry 
so much ; and allowing for the difference of size, his strength is only 
equal, if not less than that of a man. A French experimentalist has 
ascertained the strength of the human body, by having a sort of har- 
ness made, by means of which he placed on every point of a man's 
body, standing upright, a certain number of weights, in such a man- 
ner, that each part of the body supported as much as it could bear re- 
latively to the rest, each having its proper proportion of the load. By 
means of this machine, a man supported a weight of two thousand 
pounds, without being at all overloaded. 

We may also judge of a man's strength by the continuance of his 
exercise, and the agility of his motions. Men accustomed to hunt- 
ing will outrun horses, and can continue the chase longer : and even 
in a more moderate exercise, a man accustomed to walking will travel 
each day farther than a horse can. At Ispahan, couriers go nearly 
thirty leagues in ten or twelve hours. Travellers inform us that the 
Hottentots overtake lions in the chase, and that the American Indians 
pursue the elk with such rapidity that they tire it and then seize it, 
though this animal is as swift as the stag. Many other remarkable 
things are related of the neetness of the Indians, of the long journeys 
that they perform on foot, over the most rugged mountains, and 
through countries where there is no track or road. It is reported that 
these men perform journeys of a thousand or twelve hundred leagues 
in less than six weeks or two months. What other creature, except 
birds, can undertake such long journeys 1 Man in a state of civiliza- 
tion does not knoW how much strength he possesses ; how much he 
loses by effeminacy, nor how much he can acquire by frequent exer- 
cise. Sometimes we find men of a very extraordinary strength ; but 
this gift of nature, which would be so valuable if they were obliged 
to employ it in self-defence, or in useful labour, is of little advantage 
in a civilized state, where the powers of the mind are of much more 
avail than bodily strength, and where manual labour devolves on the 
lowest classes of society. 

Here again we may acknowledge the admirable wisdom with which 
God has formed our bod}^ and rendered it capable of so much activity. 
We cannot but regard with pity those indolent beings who pass their 
lives in idleness and effeminacy ; who never exert their strength, nor 
exercise their powers, for fear of injuring their health, or shortening 
their lives. Why has the Almighty blessed us with strength, unless 
that we may employ it to some useful purpose 1 When, therefore, we 
dissipate it in indolence and inactivity, we oppose the will of our Cre- 
ator, and become guilty of the basest ingratitude. Let us, in future, 
exert all our power and apply our several faculties for the good of our 
fellow-creatures, according to our situation and circumstances ; and, 
if necessity requires, let us cheerfully earn our bread by the sweat of 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 337 

our brow ; even then our happiness is greater than* that of thousands 
of our fellow-men, who groan beneath the insufferable yoke of slavery, 
and who, when worn out with labour and fatigue, and their strength 
is exhausted, have no means of procuring ease and comfort for their 
oppressed bodies, nor soothing voice of kindness to cheer the sad mo- 
ments of sickness, or encourage their drooping soul ; hope is denied 
them, and their only consolation is the silence of the grave. The 
more happy we find our lot, compared with these unfortunate victims 
of luxury, the more seriously ought we to apply ourselves to fulfil 
our duties ; and the success of our labours should induce us to love 
and to praise God, who has vouchsafed to grant us strength and 
ability, and graciously continue to preserve them. 



SEPTEMBER XVI. 

INSTINCT OF THE BUTTERFLY IN THE PROPAGATION OF ITS SPECIES. 

This is the season of the year when butterflies begin to disappear 
from the creation ; but the race is not extinct ; they live again in their 
posterity, and by a wonderful instinct they provide for the preservation 
of their species. From the eggs which they lay, new generations 
arise ; but where do they place them at the approach of the rigorous 
season, and how do they defend them from the autumnal rains, and 
the penetrating frost of winter ] Are they not in danger of being 
frozen or drowned ] 

That beneficent Being, who gives wisdom to man, has also conde- 
scended to instruct the butterfly how to secure the only legacy it can 
bequeath to the world, by covering its eggs with a glutinous sub- 
stance which is secreted by its own body. This sort of glue is so te- 
nacious, that rain cannot penetrate through it, and the ordinary cold 
of winter cannot destroy the young ones contained in the eggs. It 
is worthy of remark that though each species always follows the same 
method from generation to generation, there is still much diversity in 
the means which different species take for the preservation of their 
race. Naturalists have informed us, that some of these insects lay 
their eggs at the beginning of autumn, and die soon after, whilst co- 
vering their tender young. The sun warms their eggs, and before 
winter a number of little caterpillars are hatched ; these immediately 
begin to spin, and with their thread make themselves nests and very 
commodious lodgings, where they pass the cold season, without eat- 
ing, and nearly without motion. It is also remarkable that the butter- 
fly, like other insects, only lays its eggs upon those plants which agree 
the best with its young, and where they may find the necessary nou- 
rishment : so that as soon as they are hatched they are surrounded 
by the aliment which is most proper for them, without being obliged 
to remove at a time when they are too feeble to undertake long 
journeys. 

29 2 a 



338 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

All these and many more circumstances of a similar nature, are 
calculated to make us admire the wise arrangements of an all-pre- 
serving Providence. If we do not require miracles, and things con- 
trary to the usual course of nature, to affect and render us attentive, 
the consideration of the cares which these insects have for their off- 
spring, so diverse in different species, but always uniform and constant 
in each individual, would fill us with the greatest admiration. 

Let us, who are rational beings, learn from these insects to cherish 
in our hearts a love for our children, and to interest ourselves for the 
benefit of those who are to succeed us on the stage of life. Let not 
the fear that death may surprise us in the midst of our labours divert 
us from forming great projects, or undertaking noble enterprises ;• re- 
membering that in thus devoting ourselves to the public good, we only 
repay to posterity the debt we owe to our ancestors. If parents of chil- 
dren were to imitate the female butterfly, which provides for the little 
ones which survive her, they would never leave their helpless children 
in want, but would place them in such a situation, that when the pa- 
rents cease to live, their children should have no other cause of sorrow 
than the loss of a kind father, or of a tender mother. Though we 
cannot foresee, much less prevent, those misfortunes and contingen- 
cies to which they are liable, we ought certainly to take care that their 
future condition in life is not unhappy by our neglect. Would to God 
that all parents were concerned as becomes them for the future welfare 
of their offspring ; that they would not leave their families in disorder 
and confusion ; and that they would do well to regulate their domes- 
tic affairs, and that after their death their unprotected children might 
not be exposed to vexatious embarrassments, nor witness their inherit- 
ances enjoyed by strangers, and their property consumed by law-suits ! 



SEPTEMBER XVII. 

THE VINE. 

To be convinced how unreasonable and absurd it is to complain of 
the inequalities of the earth, we need only consider the nature of 
vines. The vine never succeeds well in a flat country, neither does it 
thrive on every hill ; but only on those which have a south or east 
aspect. The highest hills, and steeps where the plough never reaches, 
are yearly covered with verdure, and produce the most delicious fruits. 
If the soil which nourishes the vine appears poor and destitute, the 
vine-producing plant appears equally unpromising. Indeed had we 
not known it by experience, we could scarcely have believed that a 
seemingly dry and mean wood should produce such a delicious liquor. 
The evaporation from the vine is so considerable, that one hundred 
and fifty-two inches of sap are required to rise in the space of twelve 
hours, to supply the fluid which exhales through the leaves. 

Much wisdom is displayed in the distribution of vineyards over the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 339 

earth. They do not succeed alike in all places ; to thrive well they 
should be situated between the fortieth and fiftieth degrees of latitude, 
consequently about the middle of the globe. Asia is properly the 
country of the vine, whence its cultivation has been gradually intro- 
duced into Europe. The Phoenicians, who at a very early period 
traversed the coasts of the Mediterranean, brought it to the continent 
and most of the islands. It succeeded remarkably well in the isles of 
the Archipelago, and was at length brought to Italy, where it multiplied 
considerably; and the Gauls, who had tasted of the grape juice, wish- 
ing to establish themselves in the country where it was produced, 
passed the Alps, and made themselves masters of both banks 'of the 
Po. The vine was soon afterward cultivated throughout France, and 
flourished upon the banks of the Rhine, the Moselle, the Necker, and 
in different provinces of the German empire. 

The consideration of the vine may give rise to some very important 
reflections. As the most barren soils are good for the cultivation of 
the vine, so it sometimes happens that the poorest countries are 
favourable to science and wisdom. In provinces universally despised 
for their poverty, men have arisen, the rays of whose genius have 
beamed upon distant countries. There is no place so desert, no town 
so small, or village so miserable, as entirely to preclude the successful 
cultivation of science : all that is required for its increase is encou- 
ragement. What an inestimable blessing then we have in our power 
to procure, if we only will give ourselves the trouble of cherishing the 
virtues of the human heart, and improving those mental powers which. 
we possess for the noblest purposes ! Sovereigns, pastors, and teachers 
of youth, how essentially might you contribute to the happiness of 
your fellow-creatures, and of your remotest posterity, if, by proper 
-exhortations, rewards, useful establishments, and adequate encourage- 
ments, you endeavoured to restore religion, science, and all the social 
virtues, into ruined cities, and desolate villages ! Efforts like these 
can never be entirely useless. If we ourselves do not receive the 
recompense of our labours in seeing them attended with present suc- 
cess, our descendants will at least receive the fruit of them, and we 
shall be ranked among those excellent characters, who, by being the 
benefactors of the human race, have obtained the approbation of God 
and the benediction of their fellow-creatures. 

The vine, with its dry and shapeless wood, is emblematical of those 
men, who, destitute of the honours of birth, and the splendour of rank, 
still do much good. How often it happens that men born and living 
in obscurity, whose external appearance promises little, perform actions, 
and undertake enterprises, which raise them above all the princes of 
the earth ! And here we may reflect with advantage upon Jesus 
Christ himself ; to judge of whom from the mean and abject state in 
which he appeared when personally on earth, we should not have 
-expected those great and wonderful works which have made him the 
Saviour of mankind. He has shown us that we may be poor, despised, 
and miserable in this world, and yet successfully labour for the glory 
of God, and the good of our fellow-creatures. 



340 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

SEPTEMBER XVIIL 

HYMN TO CELEBRATE THE WORKS OP THE CREATION. 

Praise ye the Lord ! Let all tongues and people celebrate him with 
songs of joy ! Sing aloud, and exalt his power and goodness I Adore 
him, ye nations ; prostrate yourselves before him, ye islands ! Praise 
and glorify the supreme Ruler of the universe ! 

It is he whose power drew forth out of nothing the elements, the 
heavens, and light itself: it is he who separated the earth from the 
bosom of the waters ; and his almighty hand formed the sea, and all 
the innumerable host of creatures which live upon his bounty. 

It is he who has given light and heat to the sun ; who has pre- 
scribed laws to the moon ; who has marked out to the stars their 
course ; and who flashes in the lightning, and speaks in the thunder ! 
It is he who bids the tempest roar ; and the strength of the lion, and 
delicate structure of the irisect, are monuments of his power. To 
gladden the hearts of men, he has taught the nightingale to warble 
her melodious strains ; he gives to the flowers their fragrance; he 
balances and puts in motion the air ; he calls forth the winds and 
directs their course. The sea at his powerful word swells in billows, 
and again subsides at his command ; for God reigns in the bosom of 
the deep. Let us then bow down before and adore the Supreme 
Being, whose grandeur is manifest in all his creatures, and the traces 
of whose infinite power the whole creation declares. 



SEPTEMBER XIX. 

WONDERS WHICH GOD DAILY EFFECTS IN THE CREATION. 

The whole universe, which continually preserves that beauty and 
order in which it was first established, is a miracle constantly before 
us. How astonishing is the world which we inhabit ! How immense 
is the number, grandeur, variety, and beauty, of the creatures which 
it contains ! What other arm than that of the omnipotent God could 
have placed in the immense expanse of the heavens the sun and all 
those stars, whose prodigious size and distance fill our minds with 
astonishment 1 Who but God has prescribed to them the spheres in 
which they have revolved for thousands of years'? Who else has 
determined with such skill the respective power of all these globes ; 
and established a perfect balance between them and the ether in 
which they are suspended 1 Who has placed the earth at such a just 
distance from the sun, that the space between them is neither too 
great nor too small? 

The alternation of day and night ; the revolutions of the seasons ; 
the innumerable multitude of animals, of reptiles, of trees, of plants, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 341 

and of all the different productions of the earth, are the works of the 
Almighty God. His particular and especial providence is a continual 
proof of his greatness, wisdom, and omnipresence. His constant cares 
for us, and that marked protection, instances of which almost every 
person has met with ; the various means he employs to attract men to 
his service ; the ways by which he leads them to happiness ; the 
misfortunes which he tries them with, to awaken them and bring 
them to a sense of their situation; the extraordinary events which he 
orders for the good of his empire ; events which are commonly pro- 
duced by slight causes, and in circumstances which seem to render 
them impossible ; the great revolutions which he effects, to make his 
holy truth and the knowledge of himself pass from one country of the 
earth to another ; are all so many effects, in which we ought to 
acknowledge his constantly acting power, aod which, if we were suffi- 
ciently attentive, would make us say with the Psalmist, * This is the 
Lord's doing; and it is marvellous in our eyes.' 

Let us be attentive to what passes before us, and we shall every 
where discover the traces of a God ; we shall see that by the ordinary 
means of his grace, he continually works for our sanctification ; that 
his divine word continually dwells among us, and that his saving 
voice may be continually heard. Surely those who refuse to listen 
unto him, who resist the impulse of his Holy Spirit, and who do not 
yield to his merciful visitations, would not be converted though new 
miracles were wrought in their sight. Ought not man, who sees that 
God has created the world, which every where presents to him so 
many wonders ; man who is constantly receiving the blessings of 
heaven, and who owes to God all the advantages which he enjoys, 
ought he not to believe, to love, and to obey him 1 Yet he resists. 
What then can affect him, or whom will he not oppose 1 

Let us then, who daily witness the wonders of our God, pay atten- 
tion to them, and no longer harden our hearts against truth. Let not 
prejudice or passion prevent us from reflecting upon the admirable 
works of God. Let us contemplate the visible world, and reflect upon 
ourselves, and we shall find sufficient cause to acknowledge him who 
daily works miracles before us; our souls possessed with these grand 
ideas, we shall cry out with rapture and admiration, ' Praise, honour, 
and glory be ascribed unto God, the author of all good and the 
redeemer of our souls ; who alone performeth wonders, and who visiteth 
the heart of man with comfort and sweet consolation ; who poureth 
balm into our wounds, supports us in affliction, and wipes the tear 
from every eye ; unto that God of all mercy be rendered love, grati- 
tude, and adoration for ever and ever, through the countless ages of 
eternity 



29* 



342 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

SEPTEMBER XX. 

DIGESTION OF FOOD. 

Digestion is an admirable and complicated process, which we daily 
perform without knowing how, and even without giving ourselves the 
trouble of learning what is most remarkable and essential in a func- 
tion so important to the human body. It is well for us that digestion 
may be carried on, though we are ignorant how it is performed ; but 
it is always preferable to be acquainted with the process, and to have 
some knowledge of the operations of nature in this respect. 

When the food has been sufficiently masticated, and divided by the 
teeth into small portions, and moistened by the saliva, it is prepared 
to pass into the throat. This is the last function relative to digestion, 
in which the will assists ; all the rest is done without our being con- 
scious of it, and without our being able to prevent the process going 
forward. As soon as a portion of food enters the throat, it pushes the 
mass onward, and causes it to descend into the stomach by a peculiar 
mechanism, for the gravity of the food alone would not be sufficient. 
Having entered the stomach, the food is there reduced into a soft paste 
of a gray colour, which, after being sufficiently attenuated, passes into 
the duodenum, or first intestine, where it undergoes new changes. 
Several small vessels which proceed from the gall-bladder, and from 
a gland situated behind the bottom of the stomach, and called the 
pancreas, open into the duodenum, and pour into it the bile and the 
pancreatic juice, which mingle with the food. There are also in the 
intestines a great number of glands, which distribute their humours 
through every part of the alimentary mass. It is after this mixture, 
that true chyle is discovered, and there is great reason to believe that 
it is in the duodenum that digestion is completed. 

The alimentary mass continues its course through' the other intesr 
tines, where it is continually moistened by the fluids which are 
secreted in the intestinal canal. The chyle then begins to pass into 
the lacteal veins, which every where open into the intestines, and 
terminate in a vessel called the receptacle of the chyle, which is situ- 
ated near that part of the back where the first lumbar vertebra begins, 
and from it the thoracic duct rises, and ascends upwards through the 
chest, passing along by the side of the spine, and opens into the left 
subclavian vein near the internal jugular. The chyle then passes 
through this canal, and at length mixes with the blood, enters the 
heart, and having lost its white appearance, is distributed through all 
the arteries of the body. 

But there are always some parts of our aliment that are too gross to 
be converted into chyle, or to enter into the lacteal vessels. These 
are propelled downwards by a motion peculiar to the intestines, called 
the peristaltic or vermicular motion, by means of which they are 
alternately contracted and dilated. When this motion has caused the 
mass of food to advance as far as the third intestine, it propels the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 343 

remainder through the fourth, fifth, and sixth ; which last is called 
the rectum, and is provided with a strong-, circular muscle, the 
sphincter, which contracts, and prevents the residuum continually 
passing through the rectum ; thus retarded, it remains till the quan- 
tity is so considerable as to occasion irritation, and is then finally 
evacuated. In this operation the muscles of the abdomen and the 
diaphragm assisting the action of the rectum, the contracting power 
of the sphincter is overcome. From the above slight sketch of the 
manner in which digestion is performed, we may obtain some idea of 
the great wisdom which God has displayed in a function so essential 
and important to our health, our comfort, and our very existence ; we 
should be highly culpable indeed if we were inattentive to it ; and it 
these wonders excited in our hearts no gratitude towards the author 
of so many blessings which we are continually enjoying. 



SEPTEMBER XXI. 

THE PREVALENCE OF GOOD IN THE WORLD GREATER THAN THAT 

OF EVIL. 

Nothing is more consoling in our trials and misfortunes than to 
admit, as a fixed principle, that there is more good than evil in the 
world. If we ask the most wretched of men whether he can enu- 
merate as many causes of complaint as he has motives for gratitude, 
he will make it appear that, however great are his afflictions, they do 
not equal the numerous blessings he has received in the course of his 
life. To render this truth more evident, let us calculate how many 
days we have passed in the enjoyment of health, and how few in which 
we have suffered from illness. Let us oppose to the small number of 
troubles y and vexations which we experience in civil and domestic life, 
the numerous pleasures which we enjoy. Let us compare all the 
good and virtuous actions by which men are useful to themselves and 
to their fellow-creatures, with the few actions they commit that are 
prejudicial to society. Let us enumerate, if we can, all the pleasures 
attached to every age, state, and profession ; the gifts which nature 
abundantly bestows upon us, and which human industry uses to pro- 
cure an infinite number of enjoyments and conveniences. Let us 
reckon all the delight we receive upon escaping a sudden danger, 
upon gaining a victory over ourselves, and upon performing some act 
of virtue or wisdom ; and let us remember that it is the prevalence of 
good that renders us so sensible of evil ; that recent prosperity makes 
us forget former blessings ; and that if our misfortunes make so deep 
an impression upon our memory, it is because they seldom happen, 
and we are not familiar with them'. In this calculation, we must only 
oppose to the blessings, the fruition of which we recollect, those evils 
whose utility we do not yet know ; for out of some evils great good is 
derived : if then we make this estimation in the moments of coolness 



344 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

and of serenity, and not at a time when we suffer from affliction, vexa- 
tion, disappointment, or disease, we shall be sufficiently convinced, 
that the prevalence of good, even in this state of existence, is much 
greater than that of evil. 

Why then do men concern themselves so little with the continual 
proofs they receive of God's goodness ? Why do they love to dwell 
upon the dark side of things, and to torment themselves with unne- 
cessary cares and anxieties 1 Has not divine Providence surrounded 
us with pleasing objects 1 Why then do we for ever brood over our 
infirmities, our wants, and the evils which may happen to us 1 Why 
magnify them in our imagination, and obstinately turn our eyes from 
all that tends to cheer and tranquillize our hearts 1 But such is our 
disposition, the least misfortune that befalls us arrests all our attention, 
whilst a long continuance of happy days passes unnoticed. We draw 
upon us distress and vexation, 'which could not have happened if we 
were more attentive to the blessings of God. Let us then in future 
abandon a disposition like this, which only renders us miserable ; let 
us feel a strong conviction that God has impartially distributed his 
blessings over the earth, and that there is no man who has just cause 
to complain, or who has not on the contrary the most powerful and 
abundant reasons to express his gratitude in songs of joy, thanksgiv- 
ing, and praise. 

Blessed be God, who is our sovereign good ! He pours joy and 
gladness into our hearts : if he sometimes tries his children with 
affliction, his consolations soon visit their desponding souls ; and his 
goodness promises them an uninterrupted, endless felicity. He leads 
us through secret and unknown paths to the infinite blessings he de- 
signs for us ; the very trials which he sometimes sends have a bene- 
ficent purpose to accomplish, and which we shall one day know and 
acknowledge ; till when he spares us from suffering more than we 
can bear, and his all-powerful and paternal hand still protects us, and 
the eye of his mercy watches over us for our good and eternal pre- 
servation. 



SEPTEMBER XXII. 

ENMITY BETWEEN ANIMALS. 

There is a continual enmity among animals ; they are constantly 
attacking and pursuing each other : every element is a field of battle 
for them ; the eagle is the terror of the inhabitants of the air ; the 
tiger lives upon the earth by carnage ; the pike in the waters ; and 
the mole under ground. It is the want of food which induces these, 
and many other species of animals, to destroy one another. But 
there are some creatures whose hatred of each other does not proceed 
from the same source. Thus those animals which entwine them- 
selves round the elephant's trunk, and press it till they have suffocated 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 345 

him, do not act so with the design of procuring nourishment. When 
the ermine leaps upon, and lays hold of, the ear of the bear and the 
elk, and bites them with his sharp teeth, we cannot affirm that this 
is done to satisfy the calls of hunger. 

There is scarcely any creature, however small, which does not 
serve for food to some other animal. I know that many people think 
this arrangement of nature is cruel and unnecessary ; but I can with 
confidence assert, that even this antipathy and enmity among ani- 
mals, is a proof that every thing is wisely ordered. If we consider 
animals in the whole, we shall find that it is highly useful that some 
should subsist upon others ; for on the one hand, without this arrange- 
ment many species could not exist ; and on the other, these numer- 
ous species, instead of being prejudicial, are extremely useful. In- 
sects and many reptiles feed on carrion ; others establish themselves 
in the bodies of certain animals, and live upon their flesh and blood ; 
and these insects themselves serve as food for other creatures. Car- 
nivorous animals and birds of prey kill and feed upon other animals. 
Some species multiply so abundantly, that they would become bur- 
densome if their numbers were not diminished. If there were no 
sparrows to destroy insects, what would become of the flowers and 
fruits ? Without the ichneumon, which seeks out and destroys the 
crocodile's eggs, this terrible animal would increase to an alarming 
degree. A great portion of the earth would be desert, and many 
creatures would not exist, if there were no carnivorous animals. It 
will perhaps be urged that they might live upon vegetables ; but if 
this were the case, our fields would scarcely afford subsistence for 
sparrows and swallows ; and the structure of carnivorous animals 
must have been quite different from what it now is ; and if fish did not 
live upon the inhabitants of the water, how would they be able to 
subsist ] Besides, if the wars among animals were to cease, they 
would lose much of their vivacity and industry, the creation would 
be less animated, and man himself would lose much of his activity. 
We may also add, that we should be deprived of many striking proofs 
of God's wisdom, if universal peace was to prevail among animals ; 
for the address, sagacity, and wonderful instinct which they use in 
laying snares for and surprising their prey, very evidently manifest 
the wisdom of the Creator. 

So far then is the enmity which exists among animals from dark- 
ening the wisdom and goodness of God, that they receive additional 
brilliancy from what superficial observers think an imperfection. It 
forms part of the plan of the great system of nature, that one animal 
should persecute and feed upon another. We might indeed complain 
of this arrangement, if it occasioned the entire destruction of any 
species ; but this never happens, and the continual wars among ani- 
mals preserve a proper balance between them. Thus carnivorous ani- 
mals are indispensable links in the chain of beings ; and on this ac- 
count their number is very small, compared with that of useful ani- 
mals. We may also remark that the strongest and fiercest animals 
have commonly the least sense and cunning. They either mutually 

2T 



346 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

destroy each other, or their young ones serve as food for other beasts. 
Hence also nature has granted to the weakest species so much indus- 
try and means of defence. They possess instinct, acuteness of sense, 
quickness, skill, and sagacity, sufficient to counterbalance the strength 
of their enemies. 

Can any one then behold this without acknowledging the infinite 
wisdom of the Creator, and confessing that this state of warfare, 
which at first seems so strange, is in fact a real good ? We should be 
still more convinced of it, if we were better acquainted with the whole 
system of things, and the relations and connexions which different 
creatures have with each other ; but this is a degree of knowledge 
reserved for a future state, where the divine perfections will be mani- 
fested in infinite splendour. We may, however, in some measure, 
even in this world, comprehend why these hostilities among animals 
are necessary ; but we can by no means conceive why men, whose 
nature is so much more noble, should be continually fomenting wars 
and divisions so destructive to their race. To the disgrace of huma- 
nity, and the eternal reproach of the Christian religion, men pursue 
wars, and destroy each other with more savage barbarity than the 
wildest beasts that range the forests ; than which, nothing is more 
opposite to the great ends for which they were created. Surely man 
Was designed to render himself useful to his fellow-creatures, to con- 
tribute all in his power to their comfort and happiness ; to be the 
defender of the helpless, the benefactor of the poor, and the friend of 
the afflicted and unfortunate. Let us not counteract these merciful 
designs of our blessed Lord, but endeavour to live in that peace and 
harmony which becomes the children of God, and followers Of an 
humble and crucified Saviour ; leaving animals which are destitute 
of reason to quarrel, fight, persecute, and destroy one another ; whilst 
we live in charity with all men, doing good unto others, as we would 
that they should do unto us. 



SEPTEMBER XXIII. 

MORAL USES OP NIGHT. 

At this time of the year, when the days begin to grow shorter, 
and the nights to lengthen, many people are discontented with the 
change. Some wish that there was no night at all, or that at least 
throughout the year the nights were never longer than they are in 
the months of June and July. But such wishes are the offspring of 
folly and presumption, and betray the greatest ignorance ; for if men 
reflected upon the advantages which result from the alternation of 
the day and night, they would not thus show their want of judg- 
ment, nor make such ill-founded complaints, but would rather bless 
God for the benefits they receive from the night. We feel the moral 
utility of night in its interrupting the course of many vices. During 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 347 

the hours of darkness the wicked are obliged to repose, and oppressed 
virtue gains some moments of relief and cessation from misery ; the 
unjust and fraudulent merchant ceases to cheat his neighbour, and a 
thousand evils are interrupted in their progress. 

If there was no night, how much pleasure and instruction we 
should lose ! The wonders of the creation manifested in the starry 
heavens would be lost to us. We now every night can contemplate 
the grandeur of God displayed in the stars, whilst we raise our souls 
towards him in humble and reverent gratitude. If then every occa- 
sion which recalls God to our minds is precious, how much ought we 
to value the season of night, which so powerfully declares the perfec- 
tions of God ! 

Night is a time which is well adapted for meditation and reflection. 
The tumult and dissipation of the day leave but little leisure for self- 
examination ; and afford little opportunity of detaching our affections 
from the earth, and of seriously occupying ourselves with considering 
the duties of our station, and the end for which we were created. To 
these salutary meditations the stillness of the night is peculiarly 
adapted : we may then commune with our hearts without interrup- 
tion, and acquire the important science of knowing ourselves. The 
soul will then collect all her powers, and direct them towards those 
subjects which concern our eternal happiness. In those moments of 
peace and tranquillity we may purify our hearts from the contagion 
of the world, and strengthen our minds against the temptation and 
alluring examples of those who float down the stream of pleasure. 
We may then reflect upon death, and meditate upon futurity : the 
calm solitude of our closets is favourable to religious thoughts, and 
our souls become more and more desirous of virtue. Let us then, 
Instead of repining at the vicissitudes of light and darkness, be thank- 
ful for them ; and every night, before we lie down to sleep, let us bless 
the season in which we have become better acquainted with our own 
nature, the glory of God, and those things which concern our salva- 
tion and eternal peace. 



SEPTEMBER XXIV. 

of man's indifference for the works of nature. 

Whence is it that men in general are so indifferent about the works 
of God in nature ] The consideration of this question may give rise 
to various important reflections. One gre-at cause of this indifference 
is an habitual inattention. We are so accustomed to the beauties of 
nature, that we neglect to admire the wisdom which stamps them all ; 
and we are not sufficiently grateful for the numerous advantages 
which we derive from them. There are too many people who resem- 
ble the stupid beast which feeds upon the grass of the meadow, and 
quenches his thirst in the stream, without acknowledging the wisdom 



348 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

of him from whom these benefits proceed. Some men, even though 
endowed with the brightest faculties, and hence enjoying a greater 
share of the blessings of nature, never think of the source whence they 
all flow : and even when the wisdom and goodness of God are most 
strikingly manifest, they are not affected by them, because they are 
so frequent. Thus what ought chiefly to excite men's admiration and 
gratitude renders them indifferent and insensible. Many people are 
also regardless of the beauties of nature through ignorance. How 
many are there entirely unacquanted with the most ordinary phe- 
nomena ! They daily see the sun rise and set; their fields are watered 
with rain and dew, and sometimes with snow ; every spring unfolds 
the most wonderful changes; but they had rather live in the pro- 
foundest ignorance than give themselves the trouble of inquiring into 
the causes and effects of these phenomena. It is true that many things 
will always be incomprehensible to us, with whatever care we study, 
and the limits of our understanding are never sooner felt than when 
we attempt to fathom the operations of nature. We may however 
acquire an historical knowledge of them, and the meanest labourer 
may be made to comprehend how it happens that the grain which he 
sows in his fields buds, and shoots up into a plant. 

Other men, again, neglect the works of nature, because they are 
too much occupied with their own particular interests. I have little 
doubt that if spiders spun threads of gold, if lobsters contained pearls, 
and if the flowers of the fields converted the decrepitude of age into the 
vigour of youth, there would be many more attentive observers of 
nature than there now are. We are too apt to estimate things only 
as they affect our interest and our fancy : those objects which do not 
immediately satisfy our inordinate desires are deemed unworthy of 
our attention, and our self love is so unreasonable, and we so little 
know our real interest, that we despise what is most useful to us. 
Thus corn is one of the plants most indispensably necessary to our 
support, and yet we see whole fields waving with this useful produc- 
tion of nature, without paying any attention to it. 

Many people disregard the works of nature out of mere indolence. 
They love too well their ease and repose to curtail their sleep a few 
minutes whilst they may contemplate the starry heavens ; they have 
not resolution to quit their beds in a morning early enough to behold 
the rising sun ; they fear it would fatigue them too much if they 
stooped to the ground to observe the structure of a blade of grass; and 
yet these very people, who are so fond of their ease and convenience, 
are full of eagerness and activity in the gratification of their passions. 

Others neglect the works of God in nature from irreligious motives; 
they do not desire to know the greatness of God, and have no inclina- 
tion for virtue, nor the duties which it prescribes. To love and to 
praise God, and to be grateful for his blessings, would be to these men 
duties painful and disagreeable. We have too much reason to believe 
that this is one of the principal causes of some men's disregard for the 
works of God. If they prized the knowledge of God above all other 
things, they would eagerly seize, and cherish with pleasure, every 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 349 

opportunity of strengthening- that knowledge, and of perfecting their 
love of their heavenly Creator. 

At least two-thirds of mankind may be ranked in one or other of 
the classes which we have just pointed out ; for there are very few 
people who properly study the works of God, and who love to dwell 
upon them. This is a truth, the mournful certainty of which is daily 
confirmed. Would to God that men would at length be convinced 
how it becomes them to be so insensible and inattentive to the works 
of the Creator, and how by such a conduct they degrade themselves 
below the very brutes ! Have we eyes, and shall we not contemplate 
the wonders that every where surround us 1 Have we ears, and shall 
we not hearken to the glad songs which make the heavens resound 
with the praises of the Creator 1 Do we wish to contemplate God in 
the world to come, and yet refuse to consider his works in which he 
shines so conspicuously in the garden of nature ? Let us henceforth 
renounce this culpable indifference, and endeavour to feel a portion of 
that joy which formerly penetrated the heart of David, when he 
reflected on the works, the glory, and the magnificence of his God. 



SEPTEMBER XXV. 

OF SEVERAL NOCTURNAL METEORS. 

In serene weather, when the sky is clear, we sometimes observe a 
circular light, or luminous ring surrounding the moon, and which is 
called a halo or crown. Its outline frequently exhibits, though faintly, 
the colours of the rainbow. The moon is in the centre of this ring, 
and the intermediate space is generally darker than the rest of the 
sky. When the moon is at the full, and considerably elevated above 
the horizon, the ring appears most luminous. It is often very large. 
We are not to suppose that this circle really surrounds the moon ; the 
true cause of such an appearance must be looked for in our atmo- 
sphere, the vapours of which cause a refraction of the rays of light 
which penetrate them, and produce this effect. 

False moons, called paraselenes, or mock moons, are sometimes 
seen near the real moon, and appear as large, but their light is paler. 
They are generally accompanied by circles, some of which have the 
same colours as the rainbow, whilst others are white, and others have 
long luminous tails. All these appearances are produced by refrac- 
tion. The rays of light falling from the moon upon aqueous and 
sometimes frozen vapours, are refracted in various ways ; the coloured 
rays are separated, and reaching the eye double the image of the 
moon. A very rare appearance is sometimes observed ; we see by 
moonlight, after heavy rain, a lunar rainbow, which has the same 
colours as the solar rainbow, but much fainter ; this meteor is also 
occasioned by the refraction of the rays of light. 

When sulphurous and other vapours take fire in the superior part 
30 



350 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

of the atmosphere, we often see streaks of light rapidly darting like 
rockets. When these vapours unite together in one mass, and becom- 
ing ignited fall down, we seem to perceive little balls of fire fall from 
the sky ; and as, from their distance, they appear to be about the size 
of stars, they are often called falling stars, and many people imagine 
they are real stars, which change their places or are dissipated. Some- 
times these supposed stars, very brilliant, and splendidly coloured, 
slowly descend, acquiring new lustre, till at length they are extin- 
guished in the lower atmosphere. Large balls of fire have sometimes- 
been seen more resplendent than the full moon, and some of them 
with long luminous tails. It is very probable that these are sulphur- 
ous and nitrous vapours, which have accumulated and become ignited ; 
they generally pass through the air with great rapidity, and then burst 
with a loud report. Sometimes, when the inflammable particles of 
which they are composed are of a different nature, they disperse with- 
out noise in the higher regions of the atmosphere. The little flashes 
which we often may observe in the summer evenings after intense 
heat, are produced by the vapours of the atmosphere ; and are less 
visible, because they are more elevated. This meteor is distinguished 
from real lightning, by not being accompanied by thunder ; or rather, 
these lights are the reflection of lightning at too great a distance for 
us to hear the thunder-clap which follows. 

The flying dragon, the dancing goat, the burning beam, and vari- 
ous other meteors, owe their names to the singular appearance which 
they present. They are only gross and viscous exhalations which 
ferment in the humid regions of the lower sky, and which being pressed 
in several directions by the agitated atmosphere, assume different 
figures, to which people give these extraordinary names. Experimen- 
talists have imitated these phenomena by the combination of certain 
Inflammable substances. 

Of all the nocturnal phenomena, none are more remarkable or 
brilliant than the aurora borealis, or northern lights, which are gene- 
rally seen from the beginning of autumn till the commencement of 
spring, when the weather is calm and serene, and when the light of 
the moon is not great. The aurora borealis does not always appear 
the same. Commonly towards midnight a light is perceived some- 
thing resembling the first breaking of day. Sometimes also we ob- 
serve streams, and sudden shoots of light, and white and luminous 
clouds which are in constant motion. But when the aurora borealis 
shows itself in full perfection, we almost always see during mild wea- 
ther, towards the north, an obscure space, a thick and dark cloud, 
the upper part of which is surrounded by a white and luminous bor- 
der, from which rays, brilliant jets, and resplendent pillars proceed, 
which every moment as they rise assume red and yellow colours, 
then meet, unite and form thick and luminous clouds, and at length 
terminate in variously coloured clouds, white, blue, fiery red, and the 
most beautiful purple. 

How great is the magnificence of God ! Even night itself proclaims 
his majesty. How can we complain that at this season the nights 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 351 

are gradually becoming longer, when they present such grand and 
sublime spectacles, that both interest our minds and our hearts ? The 
phenomena which we have been describing render the long nights of 
the northern nations not only supportable, but even pleasing and bril- 
liant. Our nights, which are much shorter, might still procure us 
very diversified pleasures, if we would be attentive to them. Let us 
accustom ourselves to raise our minds and our hearts towards heaven, 
and soar in thought beyond moons and stars unto our Creator ; reflect 
upon his grandeur, and adore him in silence, when the sublimity of 
the night shall fill our souls. For thou, O Lord, art great ! The 
solemn stillness of the night attests thy power and love. The moon 
silently revolving in the azure plains of heaven, displays thy majesty. 
All the host of stars flaming in the firmament praise .and celebrate 
thee ; and the paler light of the aurora borealis, streaking the even- 
ing sky, manifests the perfections of our God. 



SEPTEMBER XXVI. 

AMPHIBIOUS ANIMALS. 

Besides quadrupeds, birds, and fish, there is a species of animal 
which can live either on the earth or in the water, and is on this ac- 
count termed amphibious. The animals of this class are all cold 
blooded, and have something forbidding in their look and figure ; 
their colour is dark and disagreeable ; and they have an unpleasant 
smell, with a hoarse voice ; and many of them are venomous. In- 
stead of bones, they have only cartilages ; their skin in some instances 
is smooth, in others covered with scales. Most of them live con- 
cealed in dirty, swampy places; some are oviparous. These last do 
not hatch their own eggs ; but abandon them to the warmth of the 
air, or water, or lay them on a dunghill. Almost all this species of 
animals live upon prey, which they obtain either by their superior 
strength or cunning. They can long support famine, and in general 
live a very laborious life. Some of them walk, others creep, and this 
difference occasions them to be divided into two classes. In the first 
class may be enumerated those which have feet. The tortoise, which 
is in this class, is covered with a strong shell resembling a buckler : 
land tortoises are smaller than those that live in the sea, some of 
which are five ells long, and weigh from eight to nine hundred 
pounds. 

There are several species of lizards ; some with smooth skins, 
others are covered with scales ; and some have wings, and are called 
dragons. Among those that have no wings are the crocodile ; the 
cameleon. which can live six months without food ; and the sala- 
mander, which can live in the fire some time without being consumed, 
because the cold and slimy fluid which it throws out from all parts 
defends it from the effects of the heat. Of all these animals the 



352 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

crocodile is the most formidable ; it first proceeds from an egg" not 
larger than that of a goose, and attains to the immense length of 
from twenty to thirty feet. It is cruel, voracious, and extremely cun- 
ning. 

Serpents form the second class of amphibious animals. They hare 
no feet, but creep along by a winding vermicular motion, by means 
of the scales and rings that cover their bodies ; and their spinal ver- 
tebrae have a peculiar structure to favour this motion. Some serpents 
are said to possess the property of fascinating birds, and the small 
creatures they wish to prey upon ; these, seized with a sudden fear 
at the sight of the serpent, and perhaps stupifled by the poisonous 
and fetid exhalations it emits, have no power to fly, and fall an easy 
prey into the gaping throat of their adversary. The jaws of serpents 
can be opened to such an extent, that they are able to swallow ani- 
mals of a larger bulk than their own heads. Some serpents have 
fangs in their mouths resembling their other teeth, and they act as a 
sort of dart which they can push in and out as they please ; and by 
this means they insert into the wound which they make a poisonous 
humour, which is ejected from a little bag placed at the root of the 
tooth. This poison has the peculiar property of only being hurtful 
to parts where the flesh has been wounded, for it may be taken inter- 
nally without danger. The serpents thus armed form but about the 
tenth part of the whole species ; none of the others are venomous, 
though they dart at men and animals with as much fury as if they 
could hurt them. The rattlesnake is by far the most dangerous. It 
is commonly from three to four feet long, and about as thick as the 
thigh of a man. Its smell is strong and disagreeable ; and it seems 
as if nature had designed this, as well as its rattles, to warn men of 
its approach, that they might have time to avoid it. This reptile is 
most furious when tormented by hunger, or when it rains. It never 
bites till it has coiled itself in a circle ; but it assumes this form with 
incredible quickness : to coil itself up, to rear itself upon its tail, to 
dart upon its prey, to wound it, and to retire, is but the work of a 
moment. 

Perhaps it will be asked why God has created a species of animals 
that only seem to exist for the torment and destruction of man 1 This 
and similar questions show that we only think of ourselves, that we 
are too hasty in forming our judgments, and too much disposed to 
blame the works of God. Considered in this point of view, such 
questions are very reprehensible ; but if we ask them for the purpose 
of being more convinced of the wisdom and goodness of God in the 
works of the creation, they are not only commendable, but absolutely 
necessary for every reflecting person to ask. To those then who in- 
quire for the sake of information, and further advancement in the 
things of God, I wish to address myself. Perhaps it may appear to 
you that such creatures as lizards and serpents could not have been 
created for the general good of the world. But this is a rash opinion ; 
for if among amphibious animals there are some which do too much 
mischief, it is certain that the greater part of them are harmless 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 353 

And is it not a proof of God's goodness, that not more than the tenth 
part of serpents are venomous 1 And even those which are mischie- 
vous have their bodies so formed, that it is generally possible to escape 
their attacks. Thus, however formidable is the rattlesnake, it cannot 
conceal its approach ; its odour and rattles giving sufficient warning. 
It is also worthy of remark, that Providence has opposed to this dan- 
gerous animal an enemy able to conquer it. The sea-hog every 
where seeks and devours it with avidity ; and a child is strong enough 
to kill the most terrible of these reptiles, for a very slight blow with a 
stick across their backs almost instantly kills them. Besides, it would 
be extremely unjust only to dwell upon the mischief these creatures 
may do us, without considering the advantages which they actually 
procure us. Some of them are beneficial as nourishment; others 
supply us with medicines ; and the shell of the tortoise is useful for 
man}^ purposes. In short, the wisdom and goodness of God are not 
less conspicuous in this than in all other parts of the creation. To 
reflect upon his divine perfections, to admire and to adore them, is our 
duty when we see animals which appear to be injurious to us ; but 
never let us complain of his arrangements, or murmur at his dispen- 
sations : it would be still more culpable with regard to these creatures, 
because our faculties are too limited to comprehend the various uses 
for which they may be designed. 



SEPTEMBER XXVII. 

PERFECTIONS OF THE WORKS OF GOD. 

What can equal the perfection of the works of God 1 and who can 
describe the infinite power which is displayed in them 1 It is not only 
that their immensity, number, and variety fill us with admiration ; 
but each work in particular is formed with such infinite art, that each 
is perfect in its kind, and the wonderful proportion and regularity of 
the smallest productions display the boundless intelligence and gran- 
deur of their Author. We are justly astonished at the different arts 
which the moderns have invented, and by means of which they exe- 
cute things that would have appeared to our ancestors as supernatu- 
ral. We measure the height, the breadth, and the depth of bodies, 
we know the orbits of the stars, and we can direct the course of 
rivers ; we can elevate or depress waters, construct buildings to move 
upon the sea, and perform many other works which do honour to the 
human understanding. But what are all the inventions of man, his 
most magnificent and beautiful productions, in comparison of the least 
of the works of God ] How weak and imperfect imitations, how far 
below the original ] Let the most eminent artist exert all his skill to 
give his work a pleasing and useful form ; let him polish and perfect 
it with all his art and care ; and after all his labours, industry, and 
efforts, let him examine his performance through a microscope, and 



354 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

see how coarse, ill-shaped, and rough it will appear ! He will dis- 
cover how great is its want of regularity and proportion. But whe- 
ther we examine the works of the eternal God through a microscope 
or with the naked eye, they bear the minutest examination, and the 
closest inspection ; they are always admirable, always beautiful, of 
an exquisite form and order, of an incomparable symmetry. 

Divine wisdom has formed and arranged all the parts of every body 
with infinite art, and wonderful harmony and proportion. Such is 
the prerogative of unlimited power, that admirable order reigns 
throughout the creation ; from the greatest to the most minute produc- 
tions of nature, all is harmony ; every thing is so well connected that 
no void is perceptible, and in the vast catenation of created beings- 
not a single link is wanting ; nothing is out of place or defective^ 
every thing is necessary to the perfection of the whole, and each part, 
separately considered, will be found perfect in itself. It is impossible 
to describe the numberless beauties, the ever-varying charms, the 
beautifully blended shades of colouring, the rich hues, and diversified 
ornaments of the meadows and the valleys ; of the mountains and 
the forests ; of the plants and the flowers ! Is there a single work of 
God which has not its peculiar characteristic beauty 1 Is not that 
which is the most useful at the same time the most pleasing ? What 
an astonishing variety of forms, figures, and dimensions, do we not 
discover in the inanimate part of the creation 1 But a still greater 
diversity is observable among animated beings, and yet each indivi- 
dual is perfect in its kind, without any thing to add or diminish. How 
powerful and infinite then must be that being, by a single act of 
whose will so many creatures rose into existence. 

But to admire the grandeur and power of God we need not go 
back to that remote period of time, when at his word every being rose 
out of nothing, every thing was created in an instant, and in a mo- 
ment attained its full perfection. Do we not now behold at the return 
of each succeeding spring a new creation ? What can be more ad- 
mirable and striking than the revolution which then takes place 1 
At the close of autumn, the valleys, the fields, the meadows, and the 
forests gradually droop, and appear to die ; nature, during the winter, 
loses all her beauties ; the very animals languish, the little birds hide 
themselves, and no longer pour their swelling notes through the 
groves, where not a green leaf is seen, but all is desert, and nature 
mourns her faded charms. Yet at this very time a secret power is 
working for her renovation, without our being conscious of its influ- 
ence ; life again animates the torpid bodies ; and they are preparing" 
to undergo a kind of resurrection. 

How can we so often witness this magnificent spectacle without 
admiring, in humble adoration, the power and glory of the eternal 
God, who has given to the trees their foliage ; to the flowers their 
beauty and fragrance ; to the woods and to the meadows their delight- 
ful verdure ; and who has caused bread, wine, and oil to spring up 
from the earth, to make glad the heart of man 1 O Lord, how great 
and manifold are thy works ! Thou hast made them all with wis- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 355 

dom : the earth is full of thy riches. I will never recline beneath 
the shade of a spreading tree, and view the fields gay with flowers, 
the corn waving in rich luxuriance, or see the distant forests, without 
joyfully remembering that it is my God and heavenly protector who 
has thus clothed the creation in beauty. 



SEPTEMBER XXVIII. 

FRUITS. 

This is the blessed season in which the divine goodness lavishes 
upon us fruits of every kind in plentiful abundance. * The charms 
of summer are succeeded by solid enjoyments ; delicious fruits re- 
place the faded flowers. The mellow apple, whose golden brilliancy 
is heightened by the rich streaks of purple, weighs down the branch 
which bears it ; the luscious pears and plums, whose juice is sweeter 
than honey, display their beauties, and invite us to pluck them.' 
How inexcusable and selfish are those people, who, at the sight of all 
these blessings, which the munificence of God bestows upon them, 
never have any good thoughts arise in their souls, nor endeavour to 
sanctify the pleasures of autumn by reflecting on the kindness of 
their God J 

How wisely has the Creator distributed fruits in the different sea- 
sons of the year ! Though summer and autumn are generally the 
times when nature produces these rich gifts, with the assistance of 
art we can obtain them both in spring and in winter, and our tables 
may thus be provided with fruit all the year round. As early as the 
month of June, nature produces of herself, unaided by art, raspber- 
ries, gooseberries, and cherries. The month of July furnishes our 
tables with peaches, apricots, and some kinds of pears. In August 
fruits appear in the most lavish profusion ; figs, late cherries, and a 
variety of delieious pears. September gives us grapes, winter pears, 
and apples ; and October yields more varieties of the same kinds of 
fruits. 

Thus nature distributes her gifts with the wisest economy, so that 
without having them in too great abundance, we enjoy an ample 
variety, and constant succession. And though as winter approaches 
the number and variety of fruits begin to diminish, we are still able 
to preserve many of them for use during the whole of this season. 
Providence has not designed man to be idle, but has intended him to 
be always active, and to labour to supply his wants ; hence he has 
distributed his blessings with such diversity, and has so formed them, 
that if proper care is not taken to preserve them they will spoil, and 
be of no value. 

How great is the abundance of fruits, and the profusion with which 
they are distributed ! Though birds and insects are continually feed- 
ing upon them, we have yet a sufficient quantity left for use. If we 



356 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

could calculate how much fruit a hundred trees would produce in a 
favourable year, we should be astonished at the immense quantity. 
Why is there such an abundance of fruits, if not to supply men with 
nourishment, and particularly those who are poor and destitute 1 In 
giving to them these fruits, so plentifully, Providence has supplied 
them with a cheap, nourishing, and wholesome food, and so agree- 
able that they have no cause to envy the rich their seasoned and often 
unwholesome viands. 

Few kinds of aliment are more salubrious and nourishing than 
fruits : and we ought to consider it as a merciful care of God, that he 
has given them to us in a season when they may be used as most ex- 
cellent remedies, as well as refreshing and pleasant food. Nothing 
is more delicious than fruit ; each species has a taste peculiar to itself, 
and it is certain they would lose much of their value if they had all 
the same flavour; their variety renders them more exquisite, and 
delectable. Thus Providence, like a tender parent, not only provides 
for the support of his creatures, he also ministers to their pleasures. 
May it be our fondest delight, and most pleasing duty, to devote our- 
selves to the service of so kind a Father ! How great will our hap- 
piness be, if we give ourselves up to him with full purpose of heart ! 
What sweet consolation, and pure and exalted pleasures, shall we 
then taste ! What bright hopes may we not indulge for happiness in 
our future existence ! 



SEPTEMBER XXIX. 

HYMN OF PRAISE, IMITATED FROM PSALM CXLVII. 

Praise ye the Lord, for he is omnipotent ! He telleth the number 
of the stars, and calleth each by its name. Thou earth, and ye hea- 
vens, celebrate him ; his name is great and glorious ; the sceptre of 
his power rules over you with majesty ; celebrate the Almighty ! 

Unite your voices to bless the God of mercy ! Ye who are distressed, 
come unto him ; come to your Father ; he is gentle, merciful, and 
gracious ; a God of peace, charity, and love. 

The heavens become dark ; but it is to water the earth with fruit- 
ful rains. Verdure beautifies our fields ; grass grows, and fruits ripen ; 
for the clouds pour from heaven the bounty of our God, who is full 
of kindness. Let every thing that breathes glorify the Lord ! Beasts 
and birds, fish and insects, nothing is forgotten, all the objects of 
his care, all are nourished by his bounty. Let us praise and celebrate 
our heavenly Father ! 

O how he supports and comforts those who trust in his mercy, and 
confide in his power ! One friend often cannot save another, and the 
utmost strength of man cannot save him from danger. Alas ! wretched 
is the mortal who seeketh vain supports ! Put not your trust in 
princes, nor in the sons of men, in whom there is no help; but repose 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 357 

on the Rock of Ages, your Saviour and your God. His word is a 
source of life and salvation. O ye who are of his covenant, how great 
is your happiness ! Praise, exalt, and celebrate the God of truth and 
mercy I 



SEPTEMBER XXX. 

INVITATION TO PRAISE GOD. 

Great is the Lord ; innumerable heavens are his pavilion ; the 
thunder-cloud is his chariot, and the lightning walketh by his side. 

The lustre of the morning is but the reflection of the hem of his 
garment; when his splendour goes forth the light of the sun is 
eclipsed. 

Praise the eternal God, ye luminaries of his palace : ye solar rays, 
flame his glory : thou earth, lift up thy voice and sing his praise. 
Celebrate him, thou sea ; foam, ye billows, to his honour ; ye rivers, 
praise him in your course ! Roar, ye lions of the forest, to his glory ! 
Sing unto him, ye feathered inhabitants of the air ! Resound his 
praises, ye echoes ! Let all nature, in harmonious concert, chant his 
honour ! And thou, O man, lord of this lower world, mingle thy 
thanksgiving with the universal song ! God has done more for thy 
happiness than for all the rest : he has given thee an immortal spirit, 
which enables thee to comprehend the structure of the universe, and 
to become acquainted with the springs of nature. 

Praise him when the sun rises from his ruddy bed, and paints the 
east with glory; praise him when his departing beams faintly irradiate 
the western horizon : with the voice of univeral nature, unite thy 
accents, tuned to his praise. Praise him in the rainy and in the dry 
seasons ; in the tempest and in the calm ; when the snow falls, when 
the ice stops rivers in their course, and when verdure covers the face 
of the earth. Exalt him for thy own salvation: when thou soarest 
up to him, all low desires and base inclinations shall leave thy heart, 
and thou shalt retire with greater elevation of thought and purity of 
eouL 



OCTOBER I. 

A HYMN IN PRAISE OP GOD. 

All the hosts of heaven glorify the power and majesty' of the 
Creator ; and all the spheres which roll in the immensity of space 
celebrate the wisdom of his works. The sea, the mountains, the 
forests, and the deeps, all created by a single act of his will, are the 
heralds of his love, and the messengers of his power. 



35$ STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

Shall I alone be silent, and not chant hymns to his praise ? My 
soul longs to soar up to his throne ; and though my language may be 
feeble, my tears will express the love which I feel for my heavenly 
Father and Protector. Though my tongue falter, and my broken 
accents declare my weakness, the most high God sees through my 
heart, and gladly receives the pure incense which ever burns there on 
his holy altar. But how shall I praise thee, who art far above ah 
praise ? Could I take the sunbeams for my pencil, I could not sketch 
a single ray of thy essence. The purest spirits can offer thee but 
imperfect praise. By what power do millions of suns shine with so 
much splendour ? who has marked out the wonderful course of those 
revolving spheres 1 What chain unites them, and what power influ- 
ences them ? It is the breath, the word of Jehovah our God. 

The Lord called the worlds, and they moved in their spheres througli 
the space of heaven. Then was our world produced ; the birds, the 
fish, the cattle, and the wild beasts that sport in the forests ; and to 
complete all came man to inhabit the earth, and receive joy in its 
productions. Our sight is delighted with smiling and varied prospects ; 
our eyes wander over the green plains, or contemplate forests that 
seem to rise into the clouds ; they view the sparkling dew-drops of 
morning that water the flowers, or they pursue the windings of the 
limpid stream w T hich reflects the trees. 

To break the force of the winds, and to offer us the most lovely 
views of nature, the mountains rear their lofty summits, and from 
them flow the purest streams. The dry valleys and parched fields are 
watered by rain and dew, and the air is cooled with the gentle breeze. 

It is our God who directs the spring to unfold a green carpet under 
our feet ; it is he who gilds the ears of corn, and tinges the grapes 
with their purple hue ; and when cold descends to benumb nature, 
he wraps her in a pure mantle. Through him the human mind pene- 
trates the abode of the stars, recalls the past, anticipates the future, and 
discerns the evidence of truth from the delusion of error ; and by his 
power we conquer death, and escape from the tomb. Unto the mighty 
God of the universe then be ascribed all honour, glory, and renown, 
for ever and ever ! 



OCTOBER II. 

EFFECTS OF FIRE. 

Nothing in nature can exceed the violent effects of fire ; and the 
extreme rapidity with which ignited particles are put in motion is 
altogether astonishing. But how few people attend to these effects, 
or deem them worthy of their observation ! Yet in our domestic affairs 
we daily experience the beneficial influence of fire, and perhaps on 
this very account we are less attentive. I wish, then, in the present 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 359 

reflection, to make my readers call to mind this great blessing of Pro- 
vidence, and, if possible, cause them to feel its full value. 

One effect of fire, and which must be familiar to every person, is 
that of dilating such bodies as are exposed to its influence. A piece 
of iron made to fit a hole in a plate of metal, so that it easily passes 
through when cold, being heated cannot be made to enter ; but upon 
being again cooled, readily passes into the hole as at first. This dila- 
tation, caused by the heat, is still more perceptible in fluid bodies, as 
spirits, water, and more particularly air ; and upon this principle our 
thermometers are constructed. 

If we observe the effects of fire upon compact and inanimate sub- 
stances, we shall find that they soon begin to melt, and are changed 
partly into a fluid and partly into a solid of a different nature. It 
communicates fluidity to ice, oil, and all fat substances, and most of 
the metals. These bodies are rendered susceptible of such changes, 
from their combination being more simple and their particles more 
homogeneal than those of other bodies. The fire consequently pene- 
trates their pores more readily, and succeeds sooner in separating the 
parts from each other. Hence some of these matters evaporate when 
the fire penetrates them in too great a quantity, or with too much 
force. Some solid bodies undergo other changes ; sand, flint, slate, 
quartz, and spar, become vitrified in the fire ; clay is converted into 
stone ; marble, calcareous stones, and chalk, are changed into lime. 
The diversity of these effects does not proceed from the fire, but from 
the different properties of the bodies upon which it acts. It may pro- 
duce three kinds of effects upon the same body ; it may melt, vitrify, 
and reduce it to lime, provided that the matter possesses the three 
necessary properties of being metallic, vitrifiable, and calcareous. 
Thus fire of itself produces nothing new ; it only develops in bodies 
those principles which before its action were not perceptible. 

Upon fluids fire produces two effects ; it makes them boil, and con- 
verts them into vapour. These vapours are formed of the most subtile 
particles of the fluid separated by the fire, and they ascend in the air 
because they are specifically lighter than that fluid. In living crea- 
tures fire produces the sensation of heat in every part of the body : 
without this element man could not preserve life ; a certain degree of 
heat is necessary to give vitality and motion to the blood, for which 
purpose we are constantly inhaling fresh air, which always contains 
the matter of heat, and imparts it to the blood in the lungs, whilst 
this organ of respiration expels the air that has lost its vivifying pro- 
perties. 

The above reflections ought to confirm in our minds the important 
truth, that Providence has constantly in view the welfare of man, and 
is ever giving us proofs of his divine love. How numerous are the 
advantages which the effects of fire alone procure us ! By the inti- 
mate union of fire and air the seasons are renewed, the moisture of 
the soil and the health and life of man supported ; by the action of 
fire water is put in motion, organized bodies are brought to a state of 
perfection, the branch is preserved in the bud, the plant in the seed* 



360 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

and the embryo in the egg ; it serves to prepare our food, contributes 
to the formation of metals, aud renders them fit for use. 

In short, when we collect the different properties of fire, we must 
be convinced of the numerous blessings which the Creator has by its 
means diffused over the globe ; a truth which ought to call forth our 
love and gratitude for the Author of our being, and fill our minds with 
contentment and a perfect reliance upon God. 



OCTOBER III. 

THE INSTINCT AND INDUSTRY OF BIRDS. 

Birds afford us many innocent pleasures, and now that some of 
them are about to disappear for a considerable space of time, let us 
bestow a little attention upon them, that their presence may rejoice 
us, and make us think with gratitude and pleasure upon God, who 
is their Creator as well as ours.- It is very pleasing to observe the 
different instincts which he has given to them. None of these in- 
stincts are useless or superfluous, each is indispensably necessary to 
the preservation and well-being of the bird ; and however little we 
know of them, it is sufficient to give the highest ideas of the wisdom 
and goodness of God. 

When we reflect upon that particular instinct which incites birds 
to move, we may find in that alone just cause of admiration. Expe- 
rience convinces us that corporeal motion requires something more 
than mere strength, and limbs supple and well formed. It is not till 
after many essays and falls that we can preserve our balance, walk 
with ease, run, leap, sit down, and rise up again ; and yet to a body 
constructed as is ours, these motions seem to be much easier than 
they are to birds. These animals also have only two feet, but their 
bodies do not rest perpendicularly upon them ; they project before as 
well as behind, and yet a chicken will stand upright, and run about 
almost as soon as it leaves the egg. Young ducks which have been 
hatched by a hen know their own element, and swim in the water 
without having been directed by example or instruction. Other birds 
know how to rise from their nests into the air, balance themselves, 
and pursue their course through the air, making equal strokes with 
their wings ; stretch their feet, spread out their tails, using them as 
oars, and perform long voyages to countries very remote from the 
place of their nativity. 

How admirable also is the art which they use to obtain a subsist- 
ence ; an art which they bring into the world with them 1 Certain 
birds, though not aquatic, live upon fish ; consequently they ought 
to find it more difficult to seize their prey than is the case with water- 
fowl. Who teaches them this instinct 1 They stand on the brink of 
the water, and when they perceive at a distance a shoal offish advanc- 
ing, they pursue them, skim along the surface, and suddenly plung 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 361 

ing in the water seize upon a fish. Who has given to birds of prey 
their piercing eye, courage, and weapons, without which they could 
not obtain the means of subsistence ? Who teaches the stork where 
to find frogs and insects to feed upon ? To procure them she must 
carefully traverse the meadows, and seek them in the furrows of the 
field ; and she must prolong her search till morning, when other birds 
begin to awake. What incredible strength the condor must possess, 
since it is said to carry off a deer, and prey upon an ox ! How can 
we reconcile with the savage nature of the quail that maternal instinct, 
which makes her adopt young birds of any species, and not only take 
them under her protection, but lavish upon them her most tender 
cares 7 What cunning the crow uses to hide the prey which she can- 
not devour at once ! She carefully conceals it in places that other 
crows are not liable to frequent ; and when hunger again presses her, 
she well knows the magazine where she had hoarded her treasure. 

We might make many more observations of this kind, without being 
at all able to explain all the mysteries in the instinct of birds : but the 
little that we know of them is sufficient to dispose those whose minds 
are open to contemplate the works of nature to follow still more noble 
pursuits. Let us not confine ourselves to the consideration of the 
instincts and properties of birds, which ought only to be regarded as 
a first step leading to more sublime meditations ; but let the admira- 
tion which these raise in us elevate our souls to the God from whom 
these animals have received all their faculties, and who has prepared 
and combined so many things for the continuance and multiplication 
of this part of his creatures. 



OCTOBER IV. 

ANIMAL REPRODUCTIONS. 

Here we discover a new field of wonders which seem wholly to 
contradict the principles which we had adopted concerning the forma- 
tion of organized bodies. It was long supposed that animals could 
only be multiplied by eggs, or by young ones. But it is now found 
that there are some exceptions to this general rule, since certain 
animal bodies have been discovered which may be divided into as 
many complete bodies as we please ? for each part thus separated 
from the parent body soon repairs what is deficient, and becomes a 
complete animal. It is now no longer doubtful that the polypus be- 
longs to the class of animals, though it much resembles plants both in 
form and in its mode of propagating. The bodies of these creatures 
may be either cut across or longitudinally, and the pieces will become 
so may complete polypi. Even from the skin, or least part cut off 
from the body, one or more polypi will be produced ; and if several 
pieces cut off be joined together by the extremities, they will perfectly 
unite, nourish each other and beceme one body, 

31 l • «V 



362 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

This discovery has given rise to other experiments, and it has been 
found that polypi are not the only animals which live and grow after 
being- cut in pieces. The earth worm will multiply after being cut 
in two ; to the tail part there grows a head, and the two pieces then 
become two worms. After having been divided, they cannot be joined 
together again ; they remain for some time in the same state, or grow 
rather smaller ; we then see at the extremity which was cut, a little 
white button begin to appear, which increases and gradually length- 
ens. Soon after we may observe rings, first very close together, but 
which insensibly extend on all sides; a new stomach and other organs 
are then formed. 

We may at any time make the following experiment with snails : 
Cut off their heads close by their horns, and in a certain space of time 
the head will be reproduced. A similar circumstance takes place in 
crabs; if one of their claws is torn off, it will again be entirely 
reproduced. 

A very wonderful experiment was made by Duhamel on the thigh 
of a chicken. After the thigh-bone, which had been broken, was 
perfectly restored, and a callus completely formed, he cut off all the 
flesh down to the bone ; the parts were gradually reproduced, and the 
circulation of the blood again renewed. We must acknowledge then 
that some animals may be multiplied by being divided into pieces ; 
and we no longer doubt that the young of certain insects may be pro- 
duced in the same manner as a branch is from a tree ; that they may 
be cut in pieces, and live again in the smallest piece ; that they may 
be turned inside out like a glove, divided into pieces, then turned again, 
and yet live, eat, grow, and multiply. Here a question offers itself 
which perhaps no naturalist can resolve in a satisfactory manner. 
How does it happen that the parts which are thus cut off can be again 
reproduced? We must suppose that germs are distributed to every 
part of the body, whilst in other animals they are only contained in 
certain parts. These germs unfold themselves when they receive proper 
nourishment. Thus, when an animal is cut in pieces, the germ is 
supplied with the necessary juices, which would have been conveyed 
to other parts if they had not been diverted into a different channel. 
The superfluous juices develop those parts which without them would 
have continued attached to each other. Every part of the polypus 
and worm contains in itself, as the bud does the rudiments of a tree, 
all the viscera necessary to the animal. The parts essential to life 
are distributed throughout the body, and the circulation is carried on 
even in the smallest particles. As we do not understand all the 
means which the Author of nature makes use of to distribute life and 
feeling to such a number of animals, we have no reason to maintain 
that the creatures of which we have been speaking are the only ones 
which form exceptions to the general rule, in their mode of propagat- 
ing. The fecundity of nature, and the infinite wisdom of the Creator* 
always surpass our feeble conceptions. The same hand which has 
formed the polypus and the worm has also shown us that it is able to 
simplify the structure of animals. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 363 

OCTOBER V. 

THE ORGANS OP TASTE. 

We should possess fewer sources of pleasure if we had not the 
faculty of distinguishing, by our taste, different kinds of food. The 
great variety of fruits which abound in this season may naturally in- 
duce us to reflect upon this subject. Our pleasure would be consi- 
derably diminished if the apple, the pear, the plum, and the grape, all 
had the same flavour. The faculty of distinguishing them, or the 
sense of taste, is a gift of God's goodness, and a proof of his wisdom, 
which deserves our utmost gratitude. 

What are the means which enable us to taste and distinguish our 
food 1 The tongue is the principal organ : for this purpose the sur- 
face is furnished with nervous papillae, by means of which we receive 
the impression of taste. This structure is evident upon dissecting 
the tongue ; for having taken off the membrane which covers it, 
numerous roots where the nerves terminate appear ; and it is precisely 
where these nervous papillee are found that we have the sensation of 
taste ; when they are wanting, we have no sense of tasting. When 
we put highly flavoured things under our tongue, we have scarcely 
any perception of them till they are attenuated and brought to the 
surface of the tongue, when we immediately become sensible of their 
flavour ; consequently the sensation of taste is only powerful where 
the nervous papillae are in the greatest quantity, and that is in the 
part nearest the throat. 

To be still more convinced that the sense of taste depends upon the 
nerves, we have only to examine the tongue of a dog or of a cat. In 
these animals the nervous papillae are situated towards the root of the 
tongue ; the fore-part being destitute, whilst the palate is covered with 
them : hence with these animals the tip of the tongue is not suscep- 
tible of taste. 

How skilfully this organ of taste is constructed, all the parts of 
which no anatomist has yet been able to discover ! Is it not the 
effect of infinite wisdom, that the tongue has a greater number of 
nervous fibrillae than any other part of the body, and that it is filled 
with little pores, that the salts and savoury parts of food may pene- 
trate more deeply, and in greater abundance, to the nervous papillee 1 
Is it not owing to the same wisdom, that the nerves, whose fibres 
spread over the palate and throat, are also extended to the nose and 
eyes, as if to make these organs contribute their share in discerning 
our aliment 1 Another thing worthy of admiration is the duration of 
the organs of taste ; however fine and delicate in their structure, 
they continue longer than instruments of stone and steel. Our clothes 
wear, our flesh decays, our bones become dry, whilst the sense of 
taste survives them all. 

Seeing, then, that God has favoured us with faculties superior to 
all other creatures^ let us endeavour always to exert them for the best 



3G4 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

purposes. If we are unwilling to acknowledge the wisdom and good- 
ness of our Creator, who else is to render him that homage % Let us 
reflect on the abundance we receive from the animal, vegetable, and 
mineral kingdoms. The heavens and the earth, the air and the 
ocean, contribute to our happiness ; wherever we go we behold the 
gifts of God. From the lofty summits of the mountains, the depths 
of the valleys, the beds of lakes, and the bosoms of rivers, we derive 
sustenance and pleasure. Though it is reasonable that we should 
esteem and highly value this choice gift of God, yet let us not prize 
it be3 T ond the design of the divine Giver. The sense of taste is 
bestowed on us as a means to conduct us to the noblest ends. How 
absurd and culpable it would be, if we made our chief happiness to 
consist in'those pleasures of which this sense is the organ ; and to 
live only to gratify the palate by savoury viands and delicious drinks. 
Let us shrink from the idea of reducing ourselves to the level of the 
brute, whose chief delight is in eating and drinking : and let us ever 
remember that we have an immortal soul, which can never be satis- 
fied with any thing short of the Supreme Good ; and to have a true 
relish for this good, to be desirous of being nourished by it, constitutes 
the wisdom and felicity of the man and the Christian. 



OCTOBER VI. 

op god's government with regard to natural events. 

All the events which take place in the heavens, upon the earth, 
and in the air, are regulated according to prescribed natural laws. 
But it would be wrong not to acknowledge the influence of a parti- 
cular Providence, which directs natural things according to its own 
views, and makes them concur in its designs. God makes use of 
natural causes to chastise or to recompense men ; and it is thus, for ex- 
ample, that at his command the air is pure or corrupt, and the seasons 
are fruitful or unproductive. He prevents or assists the designs of 
men ; sometimes by winds and storms, at others by the flux and 
reflux of the sea. It is true, that God does not in general interrupt 
the course of nature ; but it is equally certain that nature cannot act 
without his will and concurrence. The parts which constitute the 
visible world cannot use their power as they please ; and God can in- 
fluence his creatures without overturning the order of nature. Fire, 
water, wind, and rain, have their natural causes and peculiar proper- 
ties ; and God uses them to execute his designs in a manner suitable 
to their nature. He uses the heat of the sun to warm and fertilize 
the earth : he employs the winds and the rain to purify and cool the 
air, but always in such a way as best suits his views and purposes. 

A great part of the good and evil which we experience in this state 
of existence proceeds from surrounding objects ; and as God interests 
himself in every thing which happens to man, he undoubtedly has an 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 365 

influence upon those objects, and upon every part of nature ; and on 
this are founded the rewards which he promises to virtue, and the 
chastisements with which he punishes vice. The one he crowns 
with peace and prosperity ; and when he pleases sends war, famine, 
and pestilence to punish the other. In short, all natural causes are 
in the hand of God, and immediately under his guidance. Man 
himself is a proof of this. How frequently his industry subdues na- 
ture ! Though he cannot change the essence of things, he is able to 
make use of natural causes, so that effects result from them which 
would not have taken place without the art and direction of man. 
But if Providence has in some degree subjected natural things to hu- 
man industry, how much more rational is it to suppose he reserves 
to himself the supreme government and direction of all these things ! 
From all this we may conclude, that a particular Providence is ne- 
cessary to watch over the government of the world. Natural causes 
are doubtless excellent instruments ; but to be useful they should be 
under the direction of a wise governor. It would be unreasonable to 
desire that God should every instant change the laws of nature which 
he has once established ; that if, for instance, a man fell into water, 
or in the fire, he should neither be drowned in the one case, nor burned 
in the other. Thus, again, it is not to be expected that Providence 
will preserve men who shorten their lives by intemperance ; or that 
he will work miracles to save them from the misfortunes which they 
bring upon themselves, by their own misconduct and folly. But it is 
our duty to attribute to the guardian cares of Providence all those 
beneficial dispensations which minister to our wants and fill our hearts 
with joy. All the disorders of nature are also the effects of the power 
of God, and may be regarded as the means which he uses to punish 
men. It is under this belief that on the one hand is founded the 
efficacy of those prayers by which we implore the blessings of hea- 
ven, peace, and fruitful seasons ; and on the other, offer up our 
thanksgivings, for the mercies which we have so abundantly re 
ceived. 



OCTOBER VII. 

THE INEXHAUSTIBLE RICHES OF NATURE. 

Nature is so liberal to us, so abundant in resources to supply all our 
wants, so rich in gifts, that they surpass in number the drops of water 
in the ocean. 

How many different things does one single individual require dur- 
ing a life of sixty years ! How much he wants for food and raiment, 
for the sweets and conveniences of life, for the pleasures, the amuse- 
ments, and the duties of society ; not to mention extraordinary 
cases, and unforeseen accidents. Every age, state, and condition of 
life, in every country, and among every people, from the king to the 

31* 



366 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

beggar, from the suckling babe to the old man, has Its particular 
wants and necessities ; what agrees with one does not suit another ; 
and all require provisions, and different means of subsistence. Yet 
we see nature suffices for all, and provides so liberally for every want, 
that each individual receives all that is necessary for him. Since the 
first age of the world, the earth has not ceased to open her bosom ; 
the mines are not exhausted ; the sea constantly provides subsistence 
for a great number of creatures ; plants and trees have always buds 
and seeds which germinate and are fruitful in the proper season. All- 
bountiful nature diversifies her riches, that they may not be too much 
exhausted in one place ; and when any species of plants, fruits, or 
provisions, begin to diminish, she produces others ; and she does it so 
that the desire or taste of men should lead them where her productions 
are most abundant. 

Nature is a wise economist, who takes care that nothing shall be 
lost. She derives profit from every thing. Insects serve as food to 
greater animals ; and these are always useful to man in one way or 
another. If they do not supply him with food, they provide him with 
raiment, or they furnish him with arms and weapons of defence ; and 
if they answer none of these purposes, they at least procure him 
excellent medicines. If disease sweeps off some species of animals, 
nature repairs that loss by the increase of others. She even makes 
use of the dust of dead bodies, and putrid and corrupt substances, for 
the nourishment of some creatures, or as manure to the earth. 

How rich also is nature in fine and delightful prospects ! Her 
most beautiful dress only requires light and colours, and with these 
she is abundantly provided ; the scene which she presents is continu- 
ally varying, according to the point of view in which it is seen. And 
while in one place the eye is gratified with the most beautiful forms, 
in another the ear is charmed by melodious sounds, and the organ of 
smell is refreshed by the most agreeable perfumes. In short the gifts 
of nature are so plentiful, that those which are continually used never 
fail. She distributes her riches throughout the earth, and diversifies 
them in different countries, taking from some, and giving to others ; 
by means of commerce such relations and links are established 
between distant kingdoms, that her productions, passing through an 
infinite number of hands, are much increased in value by their exten- 
sive and continual circulation. Such, in the hands of God, are the 
inexhaustible riches of nature, for which we can never be too grateful. 



OCTOBER VIII. 

PETRIFACTIONS. 

The transformation of different substances from the animal or 
vegetable into the mineral kingdom, is a peculiarity in natural his- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 367 

tory well deserving of our attention. Petrifactions throw much light 
on the natural history of the earth. ■ 

The first thing worthy of remark in petrifactions is their external 
form, which clearly shows that they have once belonged to the vege- 
table or the animal kingdom. The petrifaction of animals is not un- 
frequent. Aquatic animals are found petrified ; and it is not uncom- 
mon to meet with entire fishes in this state, the least scales of which 
are distinctly visible ; and the multitude of shells and worms found 
in the bowels of the earth, apparently converted into stone, is very 
great ; and there are besides many petrifactions of animals found, 
no similar species of which are at present known to exist. The pe- 
trifactions of marine substances are found in great abundance in 
various parts of the earth ; on the summits of the loftiest mountains, 
at an elevation of several thousand feet above the surface of the sea ; 
and others at a great depth in the earth. Various species of petrified 
plants are also met with in different strata of the earth; and often the 
impressions which they have made are only seen, the substances 
themselves being destroyed. In some places whole trees are found 
buried more or less deep in the earth, and converted into a stony sub- 
stance ; but such petrifactions do not appear to be of a very ancient 
date. 

It may with propriety be asked, how these petrified substances got 
into the earth, and particularly how they could be found on the 
highest mountains ] And how animals, which generally live in the 
sea, and do not belong to our climate, have been transported so far 
from their natural abode ? To explain this phenomenon many causes 
may be assigned. These petrifactions may be regarded as a certain 
proof that water once covered the greatest part of the earth ; and as 7 
wherever we dig, whether on the tops of the mountains, or in deepest 
mines in the earth, we find all kinds of marine productions, it would 
seem as if no more satisfactory explanation could be given. The great 
quantity of petrified shellfish found often in very high situations, and 
forming regular strata, gives us reason to believe that these heights 
once made a part of the bottom of the sea ; and it is the more probable, 
because we know the bed of the ocean resembles the solid earth. We 
are yet very imperfectly acquainted with the manner in which nature 
effects these petrifactions. It is certain that bodies will not petrify in 
the open air, because animal and vegetable substances are dissolved 
or become putrid in that element ; so that air must be wholly or par- 
tially excluded from the places where the process of petrifaction is 
going on. A dry soil has no petrifying property. Running waters 
may encrust some bodies, but cannot change them into stone • the 
very stream of the water would prevent it. A soft moist earth, con- 
taining calcareous matter in a state of solution, most probably contri- 
butes to petrifaction ; the fluid penetrates into the pores of vegetable 
and animal substances, and as they dissolve deposits calcareous matter, 
which unites with, and adapts itself to, the substance in question. 
From the above account we may deduce some consequences which 
throw considerable light upon the subject. All animals and vegetables 



368 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

are not equally proper to be converted into stone ; for that purpose 
they should possess a certain hardness of texture, which would pre- 
vent their becoming putrid, before they became petrified. Petrifac- 
tions are chiefly formed in the interior of the earth, and the place 
where they are formed should be neither very wet nor very dry. All 
the kinds of stones which contain petrifactions, or form the substance 
of them, are the work of time, and are still daily producing. Such 
are the calcareous and argillaceous earths, and several others of a 
similar nature ; and petrified bodies partake of the nature of these 
stones. 

Though petrifactions were of no other use than to throw some light 
upon the natural history of our globe, they would, on that account 
alone, highly merit our attention. But if we consider them as proofs 
of the secret operations and changes of nature, they will be very useful 
by manifesting the wonderful power and wisdom of God. 



OCTOBER IX. 

THE OPERATIONS OF NATURE ARE GRADUAL. 

We may observe an admirable gradation, an insensible progress, 
from the simplest to the most complex perfection throughout nature ; 
and there is no intermediate space which has not some characteristic 
of what precedes and of what follows ; there is neither a void nor a 
break in the whole of nature. 

Earthy particles form the chief composition of solid bodies, and are 
found in all substances decomposed by human art. From the union 
of earth with salts, oils, and sulphurs, &c. result different combina- 
tions of earths more or less compound, light, or compact. These 
insensibly lead us to the mineral kingdom. The different species of 
stones are very numerous, and their figure, colour, size, and hardness 
are very different. We find among them various metallic and saline 
matters, from which minerals and precious stones are produced. In 
the class of stones, some are fibrous, and have laminae, or a sort of 
leaves, as slate, talc, litophytes, or stony marine plants, and the ami- 
anthus, or stony flower of mines ; and these lead us from the mineral 
to the vegetable kingdom. The plant which seems to be the lowest 
in the scale of vegetation is the truffle, and next to it are the 
numerous species of mushrooms and mosses. All these plants are 
imperfect, and properly only constitute the limits of the vegetable 
kingdom. The most perfect plants naturally divide themselves into 
three great families, which are distributed over all the earth ; these 
are herbs, trees, and shrubs. 

The polypus seems to partake both of the vegetable and animal 
kingdom, and forms the connecting link between plants and animals. 

Worms commence the animal kingdom, and lead us to insects ; 
Chose which are enclosed in a stony or scaly shell seem to unite 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 369 

insects to shellfish. Between these, or rather next to them, is the 
class of reptiles, which by means of the water-snake are united to fish. 
The flying-fish leads us to birds. The ostrich, whose feet nearly 
resemble those of a goat, and which runs rather than flies, seems to 
link birds with quadrupeds. The ape appears to be between man 
and quadrupeds. There are gradations in human nature as in all 
other things ; between the most perfect man and the ape the number 
of links is very great. And how many must there be between the 
most perfect man and the lowest angel ! How many between the 
archangels and the Creator of all things ! Here new links, new de- 
signs, new beauties and excellences, are perceptible ; but in the 
spiritual world these gradations are concealed by an impenetrable veil. 
However, we have the consolation of understanding from Revelation, 
that the immense space between God and the cherubim is filled by 
Christ, who is God manifested in the flesh. By him human nature 
is glorified and exalted ; by him man is elevated to the first rank of 
created beings, and is permitted even to approach the throne of the 
immortal God. 

The little which we have said respecting these different links of 
nature suffices to show us that eveiy thing in the universe is blended, 
that all holds together, and is united by the most intimate bonds. 
There is nothing without design, nothing which is not the immediate 
effect of some preceding cause, or which does not determine the exist- 
ence of something that is to follow. Nature does not proceed by starts ; 
every thing goes on gradually from the least to the most perfect, from 
the nearest to the most distant, from bodily perfection to mental ex- 
cellence. But our knowledge of this immense chain of beings is still 
very imperfect ; we are yet acquainted with very few of the links. 
However, defective as is our intelligence in this respect, it is ample 
enough to give us the most exalted ideas of that admirable series, and 
infinite diversity of beings, which compose the universe; and thus we 
are led to that Infinite Being, between whom and us the distance is 
immeasurable. 



OCTOBER X. 

FALL OF LEAVES. 

The ravages which the approach of winter makes in the forests and 
in the gardens begin to be now perceived. All plants, with the excep- 
tion of a very few, lose their most beautiful ornaments, the leaves. 
What is the cause of this change ! The most natural seems to be the 
cold ; for as soon as the first frost sets in, the leaves begin to fall, and 
the vegetables to lose their verdant hue. This is owing to the circu- 
lation of the sap being checked by the cold. But this is not the only 
cause of the fall of leaves, for it takes place in mild winters when 
there is no frost, and in those trees which are preserved from the 



370 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

effects of the cold in greenhouses. Other causes are therefore instru- 
mental in stripping the trees of their leaves. Perhaps they wither 
because their transpiration is not supplied by the necessary quantity 
of sap from the root, for it is certain that the branches increase in 
thickness after they have' ceased to grow in length. When, therefore, 
at the time that the branches still daily grow, the stalks of the leaves 
do not increase, their fibres must necessarily be detached from the 
fibres of the branches, and consequently the leaves will then fall. 

But we must not suppose that these fallen leaves are entirely lost, 
and no longer useful : both reason and experience inform us to the 
contrary. Nothing perishes, nothing is useless in the world, conse- 
quently the leaves which fall from trees and plants are of some use ; 
they grow putrid, and become manure for the earth ; snow and rain 
separate the saline particles from them, and- convey them to the roots 
of trees ; and when the leaves are thus strewed on the ground, they 
preserve the roots of young plants, form a shelter to seeds, and retain 
round them the necessary degree of heat and humidity. This is par- 
ticularly remarkable in oak leaves : they furnish an excellent manure, 
not only to the tree itself, but also to the tender shoots ; and they are 
particularly useful to pastures, by promoting the growth of the grass 
which they cover. These advantages are so important, that fallen 
leaves are never collected for the purpose of throwing them away, 
unless they are in such abundance, that the grass is rather choked 
up than nourished by them. 

Leaves may serve as manure in various ways ; they are laid in 
stables instead of straw, and thus make a very good litter for cattle ; 
or they may be mixed with other kinds of manure. The mould they 
produce is particularly useful in gardens, where beds are made of it, 
w T hich contribute much to the growth of fruits and young trees. 

The fall of the leaf, in a moral point of view, may be considered as 
an emblem of human life, and the frailty of all earthly things. * I 
am as a falling leaf ; death walks by my side ; perhaps to-day I shall 
wither, and to-morrow be converted into dust ! My life hangs by a 
thread, and I may lose all my beauty and vigour in a single moment. 
But if I leave behind the well-matured fruits of love, righteousness, 
and holiness, I shall quit this world with honour, and joyfully prepare 
to meet my Creator and Judge !' 



OCTOBER XI. 

DIFFERENT SPECIES OF EARTHS. 

We can only form conjectures respecting the interior of the earth. 
Those who labour in the mines have not been able to descend lower 
than nine hundred feet ; for if they wished to penetrate deeper, the 
great pressure of the air would be fatal to them, even if they preserved 
themselves from the water, which increases in proportion to the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 371 

descent. But what is this depth in comparison of the semidiameter 
of the earth? The interior of the earth must then necessarily be in a 
great measure unknown to us ; for miners themselves have scarcely- 
penetrated through the first crust. All that we know is, that when 
we have dug to the depth of some hundred feet, this crust is com- 
posed of. different beds placed one above the other. These strata are 
much blended, and their direction, substance, thickness, and relative 
position, vary considerably in different places. Under common earth 
in gardens, clay and fat earth are generally found, and these are 
alternated by layers of sand, clay, and marl. 

The division, then, of these different layers is quite arbitrary, and 
they may be more or less extended ; but in comparing them together, 
that division seems to be most convenient which refers them to seven 
classes. 

First, black earth, which is composed of putrid animal and vegeta- 
ble substances : it contains many r salts and inflammable matters, and 
is properly dung. Second, cla}^, which is more compact than black 
earth, and retains water longer upon its surface. Third, sandy earth, 
w T hich is hard, light, and dry, and neither retains water nor is dis- 
solved in it. It is the poorest of all earths, though some plants will 
grow in it. Fourth, marl, which is softer, more mealy, and more 
readily attracts moisture. Fifth, bog, or marshy earth, which con- 
tains a vitriolic salt, too acid for plants. Sixth, chalk, which is dry, 
hard, and calcareous ; yet some plants thrive in it. And, lastly, stony 
earth. The smoothest stones, however bare of earth, are jet covered 
with moss, which is a production of the vegetable kingdom ; and 
birch will grow to a considerable height between stones, and in the 
clefts of rocks. 

The different species of earths of which these strata are composed 
are disposed with much wisdom ; for only to mention the principal 
advantages which result from them, these different layers of sand, of 
gravel, and of light earth, favour the passage of fresh water, which 
filters through them, becomes softer, and is afterwards distributed to 
supply the wants of man and animals. These strata also form the 
reservoirs and canals of springs and fountains. And it is remark- 
able, that these canals- are found in every country upon the surface of 
the earth, and that they are composed of alight earth, which is some- 
times mixed with a soil which is harder and more stony, and tends 
better to purify the water. The diversity of earth is also very useful 
to the vegetable kingdom ; for it is owing to this that herbs, plants, 
and trees grow spontaneously in certain countries, whilst in others 
they require the assistance of art. All that art can effect in such 
cases is to imitate nature, which has prepared for the plants which 
grow of themselves the soil, the nutritive juices, and the degree of 
heat most favourable to vegetation. This variety of soils is the reason 
why some herbs and plants have their internal structure different 
from others of the same species. It often happens that some plants 
will thrive in the same soil in which others languish, and that the 
same fruits will taste differently in different countries. Plants whose 



372 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

roots are weak, small, and fibrous, and which have not much sap, 
ought to be planted in a light sandy soil, that the roots may extend 
without being impeded, that the rain may more easily penetrate, and 
where the roots may not meet with too many saline and oleaginous 
particles. It is said that lettuce, cauliflower, salads, &c. may be pro- 
duced fit to eat in the space of forty-eight hours, if the seeds are 
previously steeped in brandy, and the soil in which they are sown is 
mixed with pigeon's dung and the powder of slacked lime. A certain 
preparation of the soil is undoubtedly necessary for vegetation. 

All this should make us acknowledge the wisdom with which the 
Creator has disposed the earth for the better production of plants, and 
the happiness of his creatures. It is extremely unjust to complain of 
the sterility of particular soils, for the divine goodness has always 
taken care that those countries assigned to man for his abode, should 
produce as much as is necessary for hissubsistence ; and if some soils 
are found less fertile than others, the Creator has amply compensated 
the loss, by advantages much more considerable ; or he has inspired 
man with an ardour which prompts him to exert more energy in their 
cultivation. 



OCTOBER XII. 

WINE. 

Wine is the gift of the divine goodness, for which we cannot be too 
grateful. God has not only given us bread and abundance of ali- 
ments for our support, he has also graciously provided for our plea- 
sures and enjoyment ; and to render our life more comfortable, as 
well as to contribute to our health, he has created the vine. 

No other beverage, natural or artificial, produces effects in the same 
degree as wine : it dissipates melancholy, and excites the most plea- 
surable sensations. Bread makes a man able to act, but wine renews 
his strength, impaired by too much fatigue, renders his labour plea- 
sant, and gives life and energy to all his exertions. Spirituous liquors 
do not diffuse over the countenance that lively cheerful air, which 
wine used in moderation imparts. 

Let us here reflect upon God, who has communicated such bene- 
ficial properties to the juice of a plant of humble birth and sterile 
soil. How much his divine goodness is manifested in the abundance 
and the variety of wines ! The different sorts are very numerous, and 
vary in colour, smell, taste, quality, and duration ; and each climate 
enjoys such wines as are best adapted to the nature and constitution 
of its inhabitants. But it is very lamentable to see how much this 
blessing is abused. Some legislators have interdicted its use, not from 
motives of improving the health and the morals of the people, but 
from false principles of economy, or absurd notions of fanaticism. To 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 373 

one or other of these causes must be attributed the prohibition of wine 
to his followers by Mahomet. 

The adulteration of wine so generally practised, particularly when 
effected by such noxious ingredients as lime, white lead, litharge, &c. 
&c. is highly prejudicial, and often fatal in its consequences. What 
can be more cruel and horrible than, for the sake of emolument, to 
convert what it has pleased Providence, in his infinite mercy and con- 
descension, to bestow upon us for our comfort and support, into an 
unwholesome and poisonous drink 1 Surely, hardened as is the heart 
of man, he might feel some remorse, some compunction, in thus de- 
stroying and counteracting the efficacy of one of the richest gifts of 
nature. A poor unfortunate wretch, diseased and distressed, applies 
to wine as to a choice remedy which will relieve his misery and solace 
his affliction : out of the small pittance earned by his daily labour he 
purchases a little portion, and hugs himself in the fond hope that his 
strength will now be recruited, and his pains mitigated ; but the 
avarice of man has tainted the source, and poisoned the spring ; the 
streams are no longer salubrious, and, instead of life-invigorating 
juice, a slow poison circulates through all his veins. 

Wine, when pure and unadulterated, is a most valuable medicine, 
restores the vigour of the constitution, and imparts energy to the sys- 
tem ; but the too frequent and liberal use of it is as hurtful as in 
moderation it is beneficial. 



OCTOBER XIII. 

MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 

About this time of the year, many of the birds, which during the 
summer frequented our fields, woods, and gardens, leave our climate, 
and migrate into other countries. Veiy few pass the winter with us : 
the principal species of those which remain are the yellowhammer, 
the woodpecker, the crow, the raven, the sparrow, the wren, the par- 
tridge, thrush, and blackbird. Most of the rest leave us entirely, or 
conceal themselves in secure retreats. Their migration is very won- 
derful, and highly interesting. 

Some species, without ever taking a high flight, or parting in com- 
pany, steer towards the south, in quest of the seeds and fruits which 
they prefer ; and soon return. Others, which are called birds of pas- 
sage, collect together at certain seasons, and fly in large flocks to 
other climates. Some species are satisfied with passing from one 
country to another, attracted at certain times by the air and food ; 
others cross the seas, and undertake astonishingly long voyages. The 
birds of passage most known are the quail, the swallow, the wild- 
duck, the plover, the snipe, and the crane. The quails, in spring, 
leave the heat of Africa for the milder temperature of Europe : they 
fly in flocks like clouds, and often through weariness fall into ships, 

32 



374 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

where they are readily taken. Swallows pursue a different method : 
many of them cross the sea, and many remain in Europe, concealing 
themselves in holes of the earth, or in marshes, fastening themselves 
together, claw against claw, and bill against bill. They pile them- 
selves in heaps, in places which are unfrequented by men and beasts. 
Wild-ducks and cranes also, at the approach of winter, go to seek 
milder climates : they assemble together on a certain day, and leave 
the country in a flock, which is generally arranged in two lines united 
in a point, like two sides of a triangle ; a single bird leading forms the 
point, and the rest follow in two lines more or less extended. The 
duck or crane which thus takes the lead cuts the air, and facilitates 
the passage of those which follow, whose beaks rest on the tails of 
those that precede. The leader holds his commission only a certain 
time, and wheels from the point to the rear, and whilst he rests is 
replaced by another. All birds of passage, however, do not fly in 
flocks ; some of them travel quite alone, or only in company with 
their females and family; others unite in small bodies. They are 
not long in their passage ; it is calculated that they can fly two hun- 
dred miles in six hours each day, provided that they repose the rest 
of the time, and during the night. According to this calculation, 
they can pass from our climate to the equinoctial line in seven or 
eight days ; and this is confirmed, since swallows have been seen 
on the coasts of Senegal eight or nine days after their departure from 
Europe. 

The migrations cannot be too much admired : no doubt the alter- 
nation of heat and cold, and want of nourishment, warn them to 
change their abode. But how is it, that when the temperature of the 
air is mild, and they can obtain food enough, they still go at the ap- 
pointed time 1 How do they know that they will find nourishment 
and a due degree of heat in other countries 1 Why do they all mi- 
grate at the same time, as if they had before unanimously determined 
upon the precise day of their departure ] And how, in the obscurity 
of night, and without knowing the country or the climate, do they 
pursue their course with uninterrupted perseverance 1 These, and 
many more questions of like nature, which may be asked upon this 
interesting subject, are perplexing, and cannot be explained in a satis- 
factory manner, because we do not know enough of the nature and 
instinct of these animals. We may, however, acknowledge in these 
migrations the wise beneficent directions of Providence. What means 
does not he employ to preserve and nourish certain species of birds 1 
How tenderly and carefully he supplies their wants, when their food 
fails in some countries ! Let us learn from this, that every thing in 
the vast empire of nature is arranged with the utmost wisdom. In- 
stinct is to birds what reason is to man, and dictates to them all that. 
is necessary for their preservation and support. How unfounded, 
then, is that uncertainty and distrust which makes us doubt the cares 
of Providence ! The very flights of the birds should instruct us in 
our duty. Why do we so often abandon ourselves to discouragement, 
doubts, and fears'? Will not that" God who directs the birds in their 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 375 

distant voyages over the seas, also have as much love and regard for 
the beings whom he has vouchsafed, in his mercy, to endow with the 
noblest faculties and pre-eminence 1 And shall not man, appointed 
by the immediate word of God, sovereign of the creation, experience 
the tender cares and parental affection of his Creator 1 i I will walk 
on my way with confidence ; God is my leader, and I will not turn 
aside into crooked paths. He wills my happiness, and I cannot be 
miserable when conducted by so kind a Father.' 



OCTOBER XIY. 

VARIETY OF TREES. 

The great diversity which is seen in all the productions of the 
vegetable kingdom may also be observed among trees. Some, as the 
oak, are remarkable for their strength and duration ; others, as the 
elm and fir, are tall and slender ; and others, as the thorn and box- 
tree, never attain any great height. Some are knotty, with a rough 
bark ; whilst others are smooth and fine, as the maple, the poplar, 
and the birch. Some are used to adorn the apartments of the. rich, 
whilst others are employed in common and necessary purposes. Some 
are so delicate, that the least wind overturns them ; and others un- 
moved resist the violence of the northern blast. Some of them grow 
to an extraordinary height and thickness ; and each year, for more 
than a century, has contributed to their size ; others acquire their 
full growth in a very few years. Pliny admired those great trees 
out of whose bark they constructed, boats capable of containing thirty 
people ; what, then, would he have said of those trees of Congo, 
which, when hollowed, form boats which will hold two hundred per- 
sons 1 or of those trees which, according to the accounts of travellers, 
are eleven feet in diameter, and upon which they can carry from 40 
to 50,000 lbs. Aveight 1 There is one of this kind in Malabar, which 
is said to be fifty feet in circumference. Such is the cocoa-tree : it is 
a species of palm, and the leaves of some of them are so large that 
they will cover twenty people. The tallipot, a tree which grows in 
the island of Ceylon, and in height resembles the mast of a ship, is 
also remarkable for its leaves, which are so large, that it is said one 
of them alone will shelter twenty men from the rain ! they are so 
pliant when dry, that they may be folded up like fans, in which state 
they are extremely light, and not thicker than a man's arm. There 
are still to be seen on mount Lebanon twenty-three ancient cedars, 
which are said to be antediluvian. A naturalist who has seen them 
asserts, that ten men could not embrace one of those cedars ; they 
must consequently be from thirty to thirty-six feet in circumference. 
The gum-trees in the American islands are generally twenty-six feet 
in circumference ; from which we may conjecture, that the cedars 
of Lebanon are not so old as is reported, though it is well known that 



376 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

many trees attain a very great age. There are apple-trees a thousand 
years old. 

This great diversity of trees may remind us of the varieties which we 
find among men, as to their occupations in life, their talents, modes of 
thinking, and the services they perform. As there is no well-formed 
tree in the forest that is not of some use to its owner, so there is no 
person in society who may not be useful in the profession which he 
follows. One man resembles the oak in his firmness and unbending 
constancy ; another compensates this want of strength by complai- 
sance and address ; he is all things to all men, flexible as the willow, 
bowing to every breath. The man of integrity will only comply 
with what is just and innocent ; but he who regards with indiffer- 
ence laws human and divine, will always coincide with that party 
which is the strongest, without troubling himself which side is in the 
right. \ 

However different trees are from each other, they all belong to the 
Governor of the universe, are nourished by the same earth, refreshed 
by the rains, and cheered by the same sun. Would to heaven that 
all men, whatever diversity there is among them, would unite to 
acknowledge that they are all alike the creatures of God, equally the 
subjects of his power, and the objects of his parental solicitude ; that 
they owe to him all their nourishment and preservation, and to him 
are indebted for those faculties which distinguish them above all the 
creatures of the earth. The cedar rising majestically upon mount 
Lebanon, and the bramble creeping at its feet, are alike nourished by 
the juices of the earth and the rains of heaven. The divine protec- 
tion is also as necessary to the rich as to the poor. Men, in the most 
elevated and exalted ranks of society, ought always to remember 
that it is to God they owe all their grandeur, that they only enjoy it 
through his permission, and that one moment may see them over- 
turned from thejr lofty seats, and mingling with their native dust. 
Such thoughts as these would tend to repress those emotions of pride 
which are too apt to possess their hearts, and would inspire them with 
that submission and obedience, which is due to the Author and Con- 
servator of their being. 



OCTOBER XV. 

TEMPERATURE IN DIFFERENT CLIMATES OF THE EARTH. 

At first view it would appear that the temperature of countries de- 
pends upon their relative position to the sun, since his rays fall upon 
the places in the same degree of latitude in a similar manner. But 
experience teaches us that cold, heat, and all variations of tempera- 
ture, depend upon many other circumstances. The seasons may be 
very different in places under the same parallel, and they are some- 
times alike in very different climates. As then accidental causes may 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 377 

make the heat very different in the same latitude, and since it is not 
always such as from the distance of the sun we might expect, it is 
difficult to determine precisely the seasons and temperature of every 
country. 

The vicinage of the sea renders the climate milder, of which Eng- 
land and the coasts of Norway are undoubted proofs. The sea may 
sometimes be frozen near the shore, when the influx of fresh water is 
great ; but this does not take place at any great distance from land, 
both on account of the quantity of salt contained in the sea, and its 
continual agitation. Thus, the sea never being cooled down to the 
freezing point during the winter, the adjacent countries enjoy a 
milder temperature. The more a place is elevated above the surface 
of the sea, the greater is its degree of cold. The air is not only more 
rare, and colder, but the greatest part of the heat caused by the re- 
flection of the sun's rays by the earth does not fall upon high hills, 
but remains in the plains, and in these the heat is always the greatest. 
Quito is almost under the line, but from its great elevation, the heat 
is very moderate ; such countries have generally a light and serene 
air, and a pretty equal temperature. 

High mountains attract the clouds ; hence it happens, that rain 
and storms are more frequent in mountainous countries than in other 
places ; and it has been observed, that it seldom rains in the deserts 
of Arabia. Countries which abound in extensive forests are gene- 
rally cold ; the ice melts there more slowly during the winter, be- 
cause the shade of the trees impedes the action of the sun's rays. 
The ice cools the superior portion of air, and thus retards the thaw. 

In warm climates also the heat is rendered more temperate by the 
days there not being very long, and the sun not continuing a great 
while above the horizon. In colder countries the days in summer 
are very long, which occasions the heat to be greater. The serenity 
of the sky, the clear light of the moon, and the continuance of twi- 
light, render long nights very supportable. In the torrid zone the 
seasons are not distinguished so much by summer and winter as by 
dry, moist, or rainy weather ; for when it ought to be summer, or 
when the sun rises to its greatest height above the horizon, and his 
rays fall in the most direct manner possible, the rains set in, and con- 
tinue for a longer or a shorter time. In these countries, the most 
pleasant season is that in which the sun is at his least elevation. In 
the countries beyond, the weather is more uncertain than in those 
within the tropics. In spring and autumn the winds are most preva- 
lent. In winter the earth is frozen more or less deep, though sel- 
dom in our climate beyond three feet ; in more northerly climates 
it freezes much deeper, and only thaws a few feet during the summer. 

In all these arrangements the operation of admirable wisdom and 
goodness is manifest, f In thus regulating the seasons, and the tem- 
perature of different countries, the Creator has rendered every part 
of the earth fit to be inhabited by living creatures. The inhabitants 
of the most remote regions enjoy as much felicity as is consistent 
*vith their nature ; every country has advantages and disadvantages, 

32 2 .X. 



378 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

which so nearly balance each other, that it is difficult to determine 
which country deserves the preference ; and there is no one place on 
the surface of the globe where the bounty of God is not manifested. 
From our climate to the most distant zones his goodness is every 
where displayed. All the inhabitants of the universe experience his 
paternal love. None of his creatures are forgotten. All that breathe 
derive from him life, nourishment, joy, and happiness. 



OCTOBER XVI. 

ATMOSPHERE OF THE EARTH. 

The air with which the earth is surrounded is not so pure and 
subtile as the ether, being impregnated with a multitude of particles 
and exhalations which are continually detached from the earth and 
the waters. The air thus blended forms the atmosphere. Its inferior 
region, or that which is next the earth, is compressed by the superior 
stratum of air, and is consequently more dense. The proof of this 
is ascertained by those people who ascend high mountains : their 
respiration becomes more painful and difficult in proportion to their 
ascent. It is impossible to determine the exact height of the atmo- 
sphere, because we cannot ascend very high in the air ; neither can it 
be inferred with certainty, from the duration of twilight, how far the 
mass of air extends. Granting that the morning twilight begins and 
that of the evening terminates when the sun is eighteen degrees below 
the horizon, and that the latter twilight is produced by the rays which 
strike upon the earth and are reflected by the most elevated parts of 
the atmosphere, many difficulties will yet remain to be explained. 
However this may be, the atmosphere is divided into three regions. 
The lower region extends from the earth to that place where the air 
is no longer heated by the rays reflected from the earth. This region 
is the warmest. The middle region begins where the preceding one 
terminates, and reaches to the summit of the highest mountains, or 
even to the most elevated clouds, and is the place where rain, hail, 
and snow are formed. ' This region is much colder than the lower 
one, for it is only warmed by the rays which pass directly through it. 
The third region is still colder, and extends from the middle one to the 
utmost limits of the atmosphere ; these boundaries, however, are not 
exactly ascertained. 

The particles which rise from the earth into the atmosphere are of 
different kinds ; there are aqueous, earthy, metallic, and sulphurous 
particles, with many others. As some of these are more abundant in 
certain districts than in others, there results a* great diversity in the 
air, and the difference is evident even at a small elevation. Heavy 
air is more favourable to the health than that which is light. When 
the air is dense it is commonly serene, whilst a light air is generally 
accompanied with clouds, rain, or snow. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 379 

An air too dry is very injurious to the human body ; but this is sel- 
dom experienced, except in sandy countries. A very moist air is 
equally unwholesome, by relaxing the system, and impeding the 
insensible perspiration. When the air is very hot, great languor and 
debility are produced, with copious perspiration ; and when it is very 
cold, rigidity, obstructions, and inflammations, are the consequences. 
The most salubrious air is that which is in a just medium between all 
these extremes. 

It is in the atmosphere that clouds, rain, snow, hail, dew, thunder, 
and various meteors are engendered. To the atmosphere we owe the 
morning and evening twilight ; as the rays of light are refracted and 
reflected, and bent in different directions in this volume of air, we see 
them before the sun rises, and enjoy them some time after he is set. 
Hence those people who live under the polar circles enjoy during the 
winter some rays of light, even while the sun is yet below the horizon. 
The atmosphere is the habitation of the winds, which have so much 
influence upon the fertility of the earth and the health of man. If 
the air was to be in a state of uninterrupted serenity, cities and pro- 
vinces would soon be deprived of their inhabitants, and exchange 
their gayety for the dreariness of a desert ; if occasional storms and 
tempests did not sometimes rage, and by their ebullitions agitate the 
calm air, the whole world would become one vast sepulchre, in which 
every living creature would moulder into annihilation. 

What great reason, then, have we to bless and to adore our heavenly 
Father for this happ3^ arrangement of nature ; and to acknowledge 
with awe and reverence that wisdom which has regulated and directed 
the vast machinery of the universe, for the greatest possible felicity of 
every being which enjoys life, reason, or instinct ! 



OCTOBER XVII. 

PROPORTION BETWEEN BIRTHS AND DEATHS. 

That God has not abandoned to blind chance the lives of men and 
the preservation of the human race, but that he watches over them 
with paternal care, is evident from the exact proportion in which, in 
all ages and countries, men enter and quit the stage of existence ; so 
that the earth is neither destitute nor too full of inhabitants. 

The number of births generally exceeds that of deaths ; for it has 
been calculated that if ten persons die annually, twelve or thirteen 
are born. Thus the human race is continually multiplying. If this 
was not to be the case, and the proportion of deaths exceeded that of 
births, a countiy would be depopulated in a few centuries, particularly 
as the population of a country may be affected by various accidents. 
The principal obstacles to the increase of the human species are war, 
pestilence, and famine, celibacy, and crowded cities, where at least as 
many people die as are born. 



380 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

Baptismal registers prove that more males than females are born, 
the proportion being- nearly twenty-one to twenty; but war, death, 
and various accidents to which men are exposed, preserve an equality 
between the sexes : in towns females are even more numerous, but 
in the country the males preponderate. 

The number of children relatively to that of families is also regu- 
lated with the greatest wisdom. In sixty-six families it is computed 
that only ten children are annually baptized. Out of fifty or fifty-four 
persons in a populous country only one marries each year, and each 
marriage, taking one with another, produces four children ; but in large 
towns only thirty-five children are reckoned to ten marriages. Men 
capable of bearing arms generally constitute the fourth part of the 
inhabitants of a country. 

By comparing the bills of mortality of different countries, it is found, 
that in those years which are not remarkable for any destructive dis- 
order, such as an epidemic, there dies in villages, out of forty people, 
one ; in small towns, one out of thirty-two ; in middling-sized towns 
one in twenty-eight ; in very populous towns or cities, one in twenty- 
four ; and in a whole province, one out of thirty-six. Out of a thousand 
people twenty-eight annually die. Of a hundred children that yearly 
die, three are always stillborn ; but scarcely one in two hundred djes 
in the birth. Of the hundred and fifteen women who die, only one 
dies in childbed ; and out of four hundred deaths, only one happens 
in labour. 

The greatest mortality among children is within the first year ; out 
of a thousand infants, two hundred and ninety-three die before they 
have obtained a year's growth ; but between the first and second year 
of their age, only eighty out of a thousand die ; and in the thirteenth, 
fourteenth, and fifteenth year, the number of deaths is so small as not 
to exceed two in a thousand. This, then, is the period of life in which 
there is least danger. It has been observed, that more women than 
men have attained to the age of from seventy to ninety years ; but 
that more men than women pass their ninetieth year, and reach a hun- 
dred. At least three thousand millions of people may live at the 
same time upon the earth ; but there is scarcely one third of that 
number, or, at the most, one thousand and eighty millions : of these 
six hundred and fifty millions are in Asia, one hundred and fifty mil- 
lions in Africa, one hundred and fifty in America, and one hundred 
and thirty millions in Europe. 

The most natural inference to be drawn from all this is, that God 
has the most tender solicitude for the life of man, and that he regards 
it as being very precious ; for if the divine wisdom had not operated, 
how could the proportion between births and deaths be so equally 
maintained, and so admirablv preserved at all times and in all places 1 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 381 

OCTOBER XVIII. 

RAVAGES IN THE KINGDOM OF NATURE. 

We now see that even beautiful nature, which in spring ravished 
our senses, and procured us so many diversified pleasures, is subjected 
to the law common to all created things. Its beauties begin to dis- 
appear, and every day brings new changes, each one more gloomy 
than the last. Such is the lot of nature, that it contains in itself the 
sources of the most afflicting devastations. 

What ravages are occasioned by the overflowing of seas and rivers, 
heavy rains, and the melting of ice and snow ! Whole villages inun- 
dated, fruit-trees torn up, corn-fields desolated, and flocks destroyed, 
present to us the sad monuments of the destructive force of the ele- 
ments. A shipwreck appears to be a less fatal catastrophe ! yet some 
new commonwealth might have been formed by the men thus en- 
tombed in the deep ; and immense sums, the collection of ages, are 
lost in a moment. Whole families are ruined by a shipwreck. The 
aspect of the ocean perturbed by a storm, its billows swelling with 
rage, and white with foam ; the piercing cries of the fear-struck 
mariners, and the crash of the vessel against some hidden rock, are 
dreadfully terrific ! 

The calamities occasioned by a long drought and intense heat are 
also very great. Herbs and plants languish, the earth is dried up, and 
we are nearly stifled with burning dust. The waters become putrid, 
and form a fatal drink for the drooping herds. Heat and putrefaction 
prodigiously multiply insects, which destroy every thing, eat up the 
produce of the fields, and if they die to-day, revive to-morrow in new 
generations. Famine, that terrible precursor of death, marches with 
hasty strides, and pestilence speedily follows. One year's barrenness, 
a war, or a contagious disease, may occasion all these evils. 

What terrible chasms and ravages are occasioned by an earth- 
quake ! Far within the bowels of the earth, the pestilential vapours 
are extricated by a destructive fire, which carries with it death and 
dismay. Suddenly, and often at the dead of night, when nature is 
wrapt in sleep, the earth bellows and shakes, opens, and swallows up 
thousands of people, who are thus summoned, without time for repent- 
ance, before the throne of the Almighty ! At the awful spectacle of 
nature, convulsed by earthquakes and volcanoes, we may justly say, 
how imperfect is every thing but the Creator himself ! Many people 
pay that adoration to nature which they owe to God, and forget that 
it is he who gives every beauty and pleasure which we enjoy in nature. 
Let us learn the true condition of all terrestrial things, and acknow- 
ledge the advantages that the love of God has over every thing, to 
w T hich our hearts can be attached. To experience delight in the con- 
templation of his august attributes, to enjoy a portion of his grace, and 
to feel that he is our sovereign good, is to triumph over all the desola- 
tions of nature. What can be more proper to increase our love and 



382 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

our gratitude for him than to call to mind those calamities, which his 
wisdom converts into blessings ? These apparent deracinations of 
nature prevent much more fatal evils, which would certainly take 
place, if the destructive matters, fires, and vapours, were to remain 
enclosed in the bowels of the earth. Volcanoes and inundations often 
present to us the most terrible calamities : burning heats consume the 
earth in one place, whilst in another it is deluged with water. Pes- 
tilence and famine sweep off a number of wicked people from the 
earth ; and the extraordinary mortality which sometimes prevails 
among men is a very wise means to preserve their number in due pro- 
portion, and to prevent their population being too great. 

When we are merely spectators of the devastations which some- 
times happen, and are not directly interested in them, our gratitude to 
the Supreme Being who has spared us should be marked by our 
sentiments of compassion and sympathy for the unfortunate sufferers. 
We should never be insensible to the misfortunes of our fellow-crea- 
tures, nor hear with indifference the recital of calamities, however 
remote are the people who suffered. In the immense chain of mun- 
dane events, there is not a single link with which we have not some 
connexion, more or less distant. Were the unfortunate people who 
have experienced so many disasters greater sinners than ourselves ] 
Why are they fallen, whilst we yet remain 1 Are the regions we 
inhabit less contaminated by crimes than those countries where earth- 
quakes and volcanoes make such extensive ravages 1 The final 
catastrophe of nature will be still more terrible to us. The world is 
not eternal ; after having experienced a succession of every species of 
calamity, the period of its utter destruction will arrive. Nature now fr 
flourishes, but visibly grows older. It is only by force, industry, and 
labour, that we now obtain from her what she spontaneously produced 
to our ancestors, and what they gathered without trouble. Perish then, 
thou earth, the place of our pilgrimage, since to perish is thy destiny ! 
We have here no continuing city; let us, therefore, seek and know 
the city which is to come, where lives the eternal God in the midst 
of the children of holiness. 

How I mourn over you, ye cities and desolated villages ! How my 
soul longs to fly to your assistance, to deliver you from bondage, and 
to divide my bread with your unfortunate inhabitants 1 Humble your- 
selves, ye afflicted, under the mighty arm of God, and bear with pa- 
tience the trials to which he subjects you. Remember your brethren 
who have experienced similar misfortunes. They who have been your 
companions in misfortune have now their wounds healed, and their 
burned houses changed into palaces. 

To destroy and to create is, and will be, to the end of time, the 
prerogative of God. If he never destroyed, we should not behold new 
creatures ; we should not have occasion for acts of resignation and 
patience ; we should not sufficiently feel the value of that religion 
which strengthens us in prosperity, consoles us in adversity, and 
makes us superior to misfortune. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 383 

OCTOBER XIX. 

CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD. 

Of all the changes which take place in the animal body, none are 
more important and mysterious than the circulation of the blood. 
There is in this motion a striking grandeur, which makes us feel the 
limits of the human understanding, and inspires us with a profound 
admiration for the supreme intelligence of our Creator. 

The blood continually circulates in our bodies : the heart, which is 
the principal organ of circulation, is placed within the breast, between 
the two lobes of the lungs; it is a fleshy substance, and has two cavi- 
ties, which are separated from each other by a valve. The heart is 
in continual motion, alternately contracting and dilating. From the 
left ventricle a large artery called the aorta, proceeds, and soon divides 
into several branches, which ascend and descend by innumerable 
ramifications, become smaller as they proceed, and penetrate every 
part of the body. When the light ventricle contracts, the blood is 
propelled into the arteries with so much force, that it reaches the 
minutest extremities of their most remote ramifications. This motion 
is called the pulse, which is merely the effect of the pulsation of the 
heart, and is quicker or slower according to the frequency of its con- 
tractions. When the blood arrives at the extremities of the arteries 
distributed through the body, nature employs it in the wisest manner. 
Certain vessels absorb the watery, oily, and saline parts. In some 
parts of the body, where the arteries are distributed, the secretion of 
milk, fat, and various fluids is performed. The remaining portion of 
blood flows into the extremities of the veins, in a manner that, with 
the aid of a microscope, we can very distinctly perceive; the red 
globules rolling one after another. These vessels gradually enlarge 
in size till they form very large tubes, which return the blood back to 
the right ventricle of the heart. 

The blood is then propelled into the pulmonary artery, which dis- 
perses it through the lungs by innumerable small branches. It is 
there exposed to the action of the air, is afterward received by the 
pulmonary veins, and by them is conveyed to the left auricle of the 
heart. Thig contracts and sends it into the left ventricle, which also 
contracting, pushes it into the aorta, whence it circulates through 
every part of the body. 

Such is the admirable circulation of the blood in man and most 
animals. But there is still much obscurity in this interesting subject. 
We meet with wonders here, that prove how incapable the human 
mind is of explaining this work of divine wisdom. How wonderful 
it is that the motion of the heart continues uninterruptedly for seventy, 
eighty, or even a hundred years, without that delicate organ decaying, 
or being out of place ! The circulation of the blood is performed 
twenty-four times every hour : consequently, in twenty-four hours, 
this operation is performed five hundred and seventy-six times ; and. 



384 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

as at each pulsation the heart propels two ounces of blood into the 
aorta, it will be found that in the space of an hour, there passes through 
the heart six hundred pounds of blood. This alone is sufficient to. 
excite our astonishment ; but how many wonderful things besides take 
place in the circulation of the blood, of which we have very imperfect 
ideas ] In short, man, whose dominion over the world every thing 
acknowledges, is a marvellous piece of workmanship. The most 
admirable mechanism and corporeal beauty are united in him ; each 
of his members declares that he is lord of the creation. An innumer- 
able multitude of invisible tubes, fashioned and arranged in a manner 
that infinitely surpasses human art and human wisdom, conduct, and 
every where throughout the body distribute, and uninterruptedly 
circulate, the precious life-sustaining fluid. In this universal motion, 
this continual ebbing and flowing, every thing is regular and admirably 
directed ; every thing is in its place in the most perfect harmony; 
nothing is discordant, nothing clashes, nothing impedes, and nothing 
precipitates its course. 

The same admirable circulation that we observe in animals obtains 
throughout nature. The sun, the moon, and the stars, perform their 
appointed revolutions with a determinate and uniform motion. There 
is even a continual circulation in the elements; the air is not only in 
perpetual motion, since it never ceases to circulate round the earth, 
but water also continues its course without cessation. The rivers 
pour their streams into the sea, and from the vast surface of the ocean 
vapours arise which form clouds; these are precipitated in showers, 
which penetrating the mountains, form springs of water that insensibly 
increase till they swell into rivers, and again return to the parent 
ocean. 

The earth, ever fertile, annually produces flowers and fruits, and 
yet is never exhausted, because the continual circulation of the nutri- 
tive juices repairs its losses, and restores to it again what it has given 
to us. All these revolutions of nature bring us to a first cause, which 
has so arranged the world, that all beings are continually in action, 
circulate, move, and act in an insensible labyrinth of changes, till 
they return to their original place, and commence again the course 
which was prescribed to them. 



OCTOBER XX. 

PROPORTION OF VARIOUS PARTS OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

God has formed the human body according to the wisest rules, and 
he has established the most exact proportion even in the minutest 
parts. To be convinced of this, we have only to calculate the height 
and the bulk of the human body from certain specific measures. The 
height of the body is generally divided into ten equal parts, which in 
technical language are called faces, because the human face was the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 385 

first model of these measures. The first face comprehends the whole 
of the visage, beginning at the root of the hair on the forehead; from 
which point to the summit of the head there is still one-third of the 
face in height, or what is the same thing, a space equal to the length 
of the nose ; so that, from the crown of the head to the point of the 
chin, there is the length of one face and a third. Between the bot- 
tom of the chin and the hollow of the clavicles, just above the breast, 
there is two-thirds of a face : thus the length from above the breast 
to the crown of the head is twice that of the face, which is the fifth 
part of the whole length of the body. From the hollow between the 
collar-bones to the bottom of the breast is reckoned one face. Below 
the breast begins the fourth face, which ends at the navel ; and the 
fifth extends to the pubis, which makes altogether half the length of 
the body. Two faces are reckoned from the beginning of the thigh 
to the knee, which last makes half a face. There are two faces in 
the length of the leg, from below the knee to the instep, which in the 
whole makes nine faces and a half ; and from the instep to the sole 
of the foot there is half a face, which completes the ten faces, into 
which the height of the human body has been divided. 

This division has been made for men in general, but in those who 
are of greater stature than usual, about half a face more is found in 
that part of the body which is between the chest and the pubis ; and 
it is the superior length in this place which constitutes a proper size. 

When the arms are extended, so as to form a straight horizontal 
line, the distance between the extremities of the middle ringers of each 
hand is equal to the length of the whole body. From the hollow 
between the collar-bones to the joint that unites the shoulder-bone to 
the arm is one face length. When the arm depends all its length, it 
is computed at four faces; two between the shoulder and the extre- 
mity of the elbow, and two more from the elbow to the tip of the little 
finger, which makes five faces for each arm; consequently, the length 
of both equals that of the whole body. The hand is one face long ; 
the thumb the third of a face, which is also the length of the great toe ; 
the length of the sole of the foot is equal to a sixth part of the height 
of the whole body. The bulk of the body and of the limbs have also 
their measures. The thickness of the finger is generally the thirty- 
sixth part of its length ; that of the little finger is the forty-eighth part ; 
three times the thickness of the thumb gives that of the hand, and six 
times the thickness of the hand equals that of the whole body. 

The height of the human body varies considerably. The most 
perfect stature is from five feet five to five feet nine inches : the 
middle size is from five feet and an inch to five feet four, and the 
little size is below five feet. Women are generally two or three 
inches shorter than men. Their breast is more prominent and ele- 
vated, so that generally the capacity of the chest formed by the ribs 
is deeper in women, and broader in men, in proportion to the rest of 
the body. The hips of women are much wider than those of men, 
the bones which form the pelvis being much larger. 

Man has a greater proportion of brain than any animal of the same 

33 2Y 



386 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

dimensions, even more than the horse or the ox. A man that weighs 
a hundred pounds has usually four pounds of brain. Infants born at 
their proper time generally weigh at the most eight pounds, and at 
the least five pounds ; their greatest length is one foot eleven inches* 
and the least one foot six inches. 

The human body considered as a whole, or in its parts separately, will 
appear to be formed in the exactest proportion. Every thing in it is 
regular, and arranged with the greatest harmony, both with respect 
to its size and figure ; and the situation of the parts themselves, not 
one of which is greater or less than the connexions it has with the 
other parts, and the general utility of the machine, require. No form 
or situation can be imagined more suitable to each part, or more advan- 
tageous to the whole of the members. Though some varieties and 
irregularities may appear, such as monsters and deformed men, they 
do not at all destroy the principal design of the body. But if certain 
disproportions in the size, figure, and position of the parts be conso- 
nant with the great end for which the body was formed, they cer- 
tainly diminish the beauty and elegance of the form, and the graces 
of the exterior. How grateful, then, ought well-formed persons 
to be, and those whose limbs are moulded in just and beautiful sym- 
metry ! 



OCTOBER XXL 

NAVIGATION. 

To reflecting minds, the subject of navigation may give rise to very 
important and pleasing meditations. At the same time that our curi- 
osity is interested and gratified, we gain a new source of pleasure. 
We ought not only to regard navigation on account of the advantages 
which it procures us, but we ought also to regard the mechanical 
part and the motion of ships. 

Is it not truly astonishing that so huge and heavy a mass as a ship 
can float upon the water 1 The weight of a ship is very great, and 
little attention is requisite to convince us that its pressure on the 
water must be prodigious. A man-of-war, whose complement of 
men is eight hundred, generally carries provisions enough to supply 
them with nourishment for the space of three months, and mounts 
from seventy to a hundred guns. Now allowing each man to weigh 
one hundred pounds weight, and each gun nine hundred, (though 
some weigh more than 4000 lbs.) and supposing that each man con- 
sumes only three pounds weight of provisions in the course of the 
day, this very moderate calculation will, however, make a totality of 
more than three hundred thousand pounds. Besides this, we should 
reckon the weight of the vessel itself, the rigging, and a great store 
of materials necessary to keep the ship in repair, and powder and ball 
for the guns ; all which equal, if not exceed, the preceding amount. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 387 

Yet this enormous mass, of upwards of six hundred thousand pounds 
weight, is put in motion by a gentle breeze. Does not this appear 
inconceivable, and contrary to the laws of nature 1 It is, however, 
perfectly natural, and should the contrary happen it would be very 
extraordinary. It is not altogether the wind that drives along this 
mass ; the ship, with its whole cargo, swims in the water. But how 
does so heavy a body float ? How can the water, whose particles do 
not adhere together, have force enough to support such a mass 1 It 
is the effect of a proper balance : the vessel sinks till the volume of 
water which it displaces is equal to it in bulk. Suppose the ship is 
one hundred and twenty feet long and fifteen broad, and that it sinks 
to the depth of two feet, that is, three thousand and six hundred feet 
of water, or so much cargo, since one takes the place of the other. 
Thus the river is not more burdened with the vessel than it was with 
the water which she displaced. 

Formerly navigation was much more dangerous and laborious than 
it is at present. The most hardy sailors had not confidence sufficient 
to venture far out in the open sea, but confined themselves to coasting 
along the shore. Since the invention of the compass, they cross the 
seas with more certainty and security. Before this happy discovery, 
to make a short sea voyage was considered as very wonderful. In 
the time of Homer it required great preparation and frequent delibe- 
ration, before his heroes could determine upon crossing the Egean 
sea. The expedition of Jason and the Argon antes, to the island of 
Colchis, was regarded with wonder, as an exploit that would crown 
the achievers of it with immortal honour. But what were all these 
in comparison of our sea voyages ] The compass enables us to per- 
form the longest voyages : the magnetic needle, always turning to- 
wards the north, informs the navigator of the regions where he is, 
and of the countries to which he directs his course. In the gloom of 
night, in cloudy days, in the middle of the ocean, this instrument 
serves him as a guide, and leads him from one region of the globe to 
another. 

The advantages of navigation are very great, and deserve our ut- 
most gratitude : we are indebted to it for many of the necessaries of 
life. Without it we could not procure, or at least not without great 
difficulty, those spices and medicines which we receive from different 
countries. It would be extremely inconvenient to have all our neces- 
saries brought by land. The following calculation will sufficiently 
prove this assertion. The freight of a ship is reckoned by tons, and 
many ships are of six hundred tons burden : now a ton is equal to 
two thousand pounds weight. Supposing it to be carried by land in 
wagons with four horses, and that each horse would draw one thou- 
sand weight, three hundred four-horse wagons would be required, 
with at least as many men, to transport this load. How dearly then 
should we purchase riches from distant parts of the world, and even 
some of the most necessary things of life ! We ought also to regard 
navigation as a signal blessing, in being instrumental in the hands of 
God to the promulgation of the gospel of Christ in the most remote 



388 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

countries of the earth. And again, we whose lot is not that of daily, 
braving- the waves of the ocean, and exposing our lives to continual 
dangers, to obtain wealth or to procure the means of existence, ought 
to be very grateful to the Almighty ; and whilst secure from such 
perilous encounters, living calmly in the bosom of our families, we 
ought to offer up to heaven our prayers for those who are obliged to 
traverse the ocean, and undertake distant voayges, whether for their 
private emolument or for the public good. 



OCTOBER XXII. 

BEASTS OF BURDEN. 

Animals of this description do us so much service, and are so ex- 
tremely useful, that they well deserve a particular investigation. We 
are generally satisfied with making them subservient to our necessities, 
either in supplying us with food, or assisting us in our labours with 
their strength ; while, through ignorance or indolence, we neglect to 
consider the connexion they have with the whole creation, and to 
reflect upon the wisdom and goodness of the Creator, manifested in 
the production of these useful animals. 

Of all domestic creatures, the horse is the most serviceable and 
tractable. He suffers himself to be employed in cultivating the earth, 
he carries for us all that we want, he submits with docility to all kinds 
of labour, and shares with us the pleasures of the chase, and the 
dangers of war, while he is content with a moderate and frugal sup- 
ply of food. He gives up his own being to exist only by the will of 
another ; he even anticipates the commands of his master, which he 
executes with wonderful promptitude and precision ; he refuses no- 
thing, exerts all his strength, and sometimes dies in the act of obedi- 
ence. Nature has given him a disposition to love and to fear man, 
with a sensibility alive to the caresses which sweeten his slavery. 
The horse excels all other animals in fineness of figure and beauty, of 
proportion. The elegant symmetry of his shape, and well-formed 
limbs ; the outline of his head and neck, give him a quick and lively 
appearance, admirably contrasted by the boldness of his chest ; his 
carriage is noble, his march firm and majestic ; and when roused to 
action, every limb denotes his power and energy, every muscle shows 
his activity, and his defiance of danger is expressed by the fire of his 
eye and the thunder of his nostrils. 

The ox is far from having the graceful elegance of the horse ; his 
large head, his legs too thin and short in proportion to the bulk of his 
body, the smallness of his ears, his stupid look, and heavy pace, would 
seem to be imperfections ; but he amply compensates his want of 
beauty by the important services which he renders to man. He is so 
strong that he readily carries very heavy burdens, and is satisfied with 
mean fare. Every part of this animal is useful ; his blood, his hide, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 389 

his hoofs, his flesh, and his horns, &c. are all employed for different 
purposes. His very dung is a most excellent manure for the earth. In 
this animal the organs of digestion are very remarkable : he has four 
stomachs, the first of which will contain forty or fifty pounds weight of 
food; the third stomach has eighty-eight folds, w 7 hich assist the process 
of digestion : whilst the stomach of sheep and goats has only thirty-six. 

The ass, however despised and unprepossessing his external appear- 
ance may be, has nevertheless some very excellent qualities, and is 
of great use. He is not impetuous and fiery, like the horse, but quiet, 
simple, and well tempered. He has no haughtiness, goes peaceably 
on his way, and bears his burden without noise or murmur ; he is 
temperate both in the quantity and in the quality of his food, being 
contented with thistles and the commonest herbs ; he is patient, vi- 
gorous, indefatigable, and renders his master the most important and 
constant services. 

How can we daily use these animals, and not at the same time 
think upon our Creator, who has formed them, and given them pro- 
perties by means of which they become so useful to us 1 It is worth 
the attention of a reflecting mind to know that the number of beasts 
of burden is much greater than that of wild beasts. Can we, without 
emotions of gratitude, reflect upon the goodness of God, which has 
given us supreme dominion over these creatures, the ability of ta- 
ming them, and converting them to the most useful purposes, and the 
power of enforcing their obedience ] This command over animals is 
one of those gifts of God by which man may every moment feel the 
excellence and superiority of his being. Since, then, it is to the 
Almighty himself that we owe this power and dominion, how ex- 
tremely unjust it would be to abuse it by our ill treatment of these 
creatures, whether in overworking them, or in any other way treat- 
ing them harshly. 



OCTOBER XXIII. 

WINTER SEED-TIME. 

A great part of the food intended for the use of man and other 
animals is at this time committed to the earth ; and when the farmer 
has sown his winter's corn, he begins to enjoy some repose. He will 
soon have the gratification of seeing his fields spread over with a 
beautiful verdure, giving promise of a plentiful harvest. Nature is 
secretly working whilst the germ is unfolding ; her operations may 
be discovered by extracting from the earth some of the grains which 
are beginning to germinate. Two days after a seed has been sown, 
the juices which make it swell are conveyed to the germ, and cause 
it to sprout. The germ is always placed at one of the extremities of 
the seed ; and that part of the germ which is nearest the outside 
becomes the radical of the future plant, while that part which is 

33* 



390 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

towards the interior of the substance of the seed becomes the stem, 
and the head of the plant. Twenty-four hours after the corn has 
been sown, the germ, which begins to pierce the coat of the grain, 
and to disengage itself, puts forth its root and stalk ; the root is at first 
enveloped in a sheath, which it bursts. In a few days other roots 
shoot out at the sides, having extricated themselves from the sheath. 
By the fifth or sixth day the corn begins to appear with a small green 
point above the ground ; it remains a considerable time in this state, 
till, as the season advances, and fine weather favours, the ear bursts 
from its coats, which hitherto had sheltered it from all the variations 
of temperature. 

From this consideration, we may with propriety proceed to reflect 
upon the nature of human life. Our present existence may be regarded 
as the germ of a future life, and our state here as that of our seed-time, 
when we can discover very little growth. The luxuriant ear, the 
ripe sheaves, and mature fruit, we cannot yet see, neither is the 
harvest to be reaped upon the earth. We live in hope. The hus- 
bandman having sown his field, abandons his seed to corruption, to 
rain, to storms, and to the sun's heat, and does not yet know what will 
be the result: so does it happen with regard to spiritual seed. Let 
us not exult in what we sow, nor be cast down if we do not immedi- 
ately see the fruits ; neither let us ever be weary with sowing to the 
Spirit ; and perhaps our good works, however small, may hereafter 
have the most beneficial consequences. Now that our ground is sowed, 
let us patiently, and without anxiety, wait till we gather the fruits of 
our labour, and, like the pious husbandman, let us pray unto God to 
crown our fields with his blessings. 



OCTOBER XXIV. 

PARTICULAR PROVIDENCE. 

It would be very unfortunate for the world if there was any founda- 
tion in that principle of the incredulous, that God is only concerned 
for the totality of beings, and the preservation of society at large, but 
has no care of particular individuals. The absurdity of such an opi- 
nion is evident. Both the dictates of reason and the sentiments of 
religion teach us to believe in a God, whose providence extends 
itself to every creature in particular, and to every part of which that 
creature is composed. Let it not be imagined that it is beneath God 
to regard individuals. The whole universe, as well as the smallest 
particle of dust, is nothing in comparison of the Infinite Being. What, 
then, can we call little or contemptible 1 Is there not less distance 
between an individual, and a whole nation, than there is between 
them and the stars, which appear so small to the eyes of men ? The 
least reflection suffices to convince us, that in comparison of that God 
to whom a million of years are no more than a day, and the whole 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 391 

universe as a drop of water compared with the ocean, there is nothing 
which is in itself either great or little, nor any event, however incon- 
siderable it may be, that is unworthy of his attention. If we take the 
meanest plant, or the least insect that we can dissect, we shall discover, 
even in its least particles, the same wisdom which is displayed in the 
structure of the whole. The least fibre contributes as much to the 
perfection of the whole animal, or plant, as these do to the perfection 
of the whole species, and as the entire species does to the perfection 
of the universe. If, then, God has not disdained to form these creatures 
which appear so despicable, why should it be considered beneath him 
to preserve them ? And if the parts were not complete, how could 
the whole be perfect 1 or how could the whole species be preserved, 
unless that preservation extended to individuals % 

Reason teaches us this, and revelation completes our conviction. 
It informs us that the very hairs of our head are numbered. Thus, 
the meanest part of our body, one of those hairs, thousands of which 
in the course of our lives we lose without perceiving it, or suffering 
any inconvenience, even these are numbered. Hence our Saviour 
drew this inference, that with much greater reason God interests 
himself on our account, and condescends to favour us with his regard ; 
and this is the more evident, inasmuch as all men have been redeemed 
by the blood of his well -beloved Son, and have gained new favour in 
the sight of God by becoming the disciples of the blessed Jesus. O 
Eternal Providence ! I adore thee in Jesus Christ. With the liveliest 
emotions of gratitude, I adore and bless thee, O God ! Before the 
foundation of the world thou designed my happiness, before my sup- 
plications could reach the throne of thy grace, or my grateful aspira- 
tions ascend to heaven ! And is it possible that thou canst now forget 
me] No! thy only Son, the blessed Redeemer, has undertaken my 
salvation, and suffered even the most cruel torments on my behalf. 
Let us, then, not be staggered by the raillery of vain and wicked men. 
Let us confide in that God whom the infidel would persuade us takes 
no care of his creatures. Let us consider that we were not formed 
for this life only, but that we are to live in another world, where the 
wonders of God's grace and infinite power will be opened to us in all 
their beauty and splendour. 



OCTOBER XXV. 

DIVISION OF TIME. 

Time is measured and divided according to the revolutions of the 
heavenly bodies, particularly those of the sun and moon. These two 
spheres have the greatest influence upon the state of man. The 
revolution of the moon serves only to mark the division of time upon 
our globe, while that of the sun is doubtless instrumental in regu- 
lating that division in all the planets which revolve round him. 



392 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

Day is that portion of time which the earth expends in revolving 
round its own axis. That space of time during which the sun is 
above the horizon is called the artificial day ; it is the time of light, 
and is determined by the rising and the setting of the sun. The time 
of darkness, when the sun is below the horizon, is called night. Day 
and night taken together make the solar day, which is divided into 
twenty-four parts, called hours ; and each hour is again divided into 
sixty equal parts, called minutes ; each minute into sixty seconds ; 
and each second into sixty thirds. This division of the day into 
hours, minutes, &c. is indicated by the movement of the shadow oc- 
casioned by the gnomon of a sundial, or by the hands of a clock. 
Well-constructed sundials constantly mark the true time of the sun ; 
but other time-pieces, which require to be regulated by the mean time 
of the sun, are frequently out of repair. Most Europeans begin their 
day and their hours at midnight, from which they reckon twelve 
hours till noon, and twelve hours from that to the ensuing midnight. 
The Italians begin their day at sunset, from which to the following 
evening they reckon twenty-four hours. The Turks begin their day 
a quarter of an hour after sunset, from which they count twelve 
equal hours ; and when they are elapsed, they reckon twelve more 
to the following evening. The Jews begin their day at sunset, from 
which they number twelve equal hours to sunrise, and as many from 
his rising to his setting ; consequently, the hours of their day are 
longer or shorter than those of the night, in proportion as the day is 
longer or shorter than the night. 

A week is the space of seven days. A solar month is the time 
which the sun takes up in passing through one sign of the zodiac ; 
but these months do not begin and finish exactly when the sun enters 
into a new sign. The lunar month is the space of time which elapses 
between two new moons, that is, twenty-nine days, twelve hours and 
forty-four minutes. 

The solar year comprises twelve solar months, or the time which 
the sun is in passing through the twelve signs of the zodiac ; and 
this is generally reckoned to be three hundred and sixty-five days, 
five hours, forty-eight minutes, and fifty-seven seconds. These years 
are at present used by most of the people of Europe. The lunar year 
is that space of time which comprises twelve lunar months, or twelve 
revolutions of the moon round the earth. It is composed of three 
hundred and fifty-four days, eight hours, and forty-eight minutes. 
The Jews and the Turks use this year, and to make it correspond 
with the solar year, they often intercalate a whole month. Our com- 
mon year begins ten or eleven days after the sun has entered the sign 
of Capricorn. 

However trivial and unimportant these measurements and divisions 
of time may appear in themselves, they are still of great consequence 
in their application to the moral life of man. The hours, days, weeks, 
months, and years, which compose the period of our present exist- 
ence, have been granted to us, that by the proper use of our faculties 
we might fulfil the end of our creation. How, then, do we employ 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 393 

this precious time 1 Minutes and seconds are trifles in our eyes, which 
do not deserve our attention ; yet nothing is more certain than that he 
who makes light of minutes will be equally prodigal of his hours. 
Are we even more economical of longer periods ? If from all the days 
that are allotted us we deduct those which have been entirely lost 
with respect to our immortal souls, how little of real and effective life 
will remain ! 

How distressing and humiliating is the reflection, that of the hun- 
dreds and thousands of hours which divine goodness has intrusted us 
with, to devote to the great and eternal interest of our souls, so many 
have been shamefully consumed in separating ourselves from God, 
the best and tenderest of Fathers ! How many years are passed in 
idleness and in vice, in gratifying our passions and injuring our neigh- 
bours ! How inconceivably quick the few moments that yet remain 
fly away ! Hour after hour imperceptibly glide along, and are irre- 
coverably lost ; and an hour is much to a man who can so easily cal- 
culate by hours the period of his real and effective life. 

Teach us, O Lord, so to number our days, ithat we may apply our 
hearts unto wisdom ; and that henceforth we may make a proper use of 
that time which thou mayest still condescend to grant us ; that so we 
may gain a portion of grace through Christ, and assure unto our- 
selves a glorious and happy eternity. 



OCTOBER XXVI. 

THE END OF SUMMER. 

The last rays of the summer sun now fall feebly on the earth ; 
every thing is changed : that country which so lately bloomed in ver- 
dant beauty and blushing charms is becoming poor, withered, and 
barren. We no longer see the trees rich in blossom, nor the spring 
gay with verdure ; the magnificence of summer, displayed in a thou- 
sand variations of colours, whose richness is relieved by the beautiful 
green of the meadows and waving groves, is no more : the purple 
view of the vine has faded, and the gilded ears no longer ornament 
the fields. The last leaves of the trees are falling ; the pines, the 
elms, and the oaks, bend beneath the blasts of the fierce north wind ; 
and the fields, which have lavished upon us so many gifts, are at 
length exhausted. 

The sad changes must necessarily diminish our pleasures. When 
the earth has lost her verdure, gayety, and beauty ; when the fields 
are swampy, and gloominess reigns, man is deprived of many of those 
delights that he receives through the medium of sight. When the 
earth is thus destitute, nothing is seen around but a rugged and un- 
even surface. The songs of the birds no longer rejoice our ears, and 
there is nothing that recalls to our minds that universal delight which 
we so lately shared with all animated beings. The melody of the 

2Z 



394 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

birds yields to the murmuring of waters and the howling of the winds. 
The fragrance of the fields is gone, and the sense of feeling is pained 
by the impression of cold and humid air. 

But in the midst of these gloomy prospects we have reason to ac- 
knowledge how faithfully nature fulfils the eternal law prescribed to 
her, of being useful at all times and seasons of the year. Though, 
at the approach of winter, the country is desolate, and stripped of its 
most beautiful ornaments, it still presents to a properly organized mind 
the image of happiness. We may say with gratitude, here we have 
seen the corn grow, and these dry fields clothed with abundant har- 
vests ; and though the orchards and gardens are now deserted, the 
remembrance of the presents which we have received from them in- 
spires us with joy, though Ave are exposed to the influence of the 
north wind. The fruit-trees have shed their leaves, the grass of the 
meadows is withered, dark clouds gather in the sky, the rain falls in 
"heavy showers, the roads are impaired, and walking is impracticable. 
The man who has no resources in himself murmurs at this change, 
but the philosopher contemplates it with satisfaction. The dry leaves 
and withered grass, moistened by the autumnal rain, form a rich 
manure to fertilize the land. This consideration, and the sweet ex- 
pectation of spring, naturally ought to excite our gratitude for the 
tender cares of our Creator, and inspire us with a perfect confidence 
in him. Whilst the earth has lost its beauty and external charms, 
and is exposed to the murmurs of those it has nourished and delighted, 
it has commenced its labours anew, and is busily employed in secret 
working for the future good of the creation. 



OCTOBER XXVII. 

MAGNIFICENCE OF GOD DISPLAYED IN THE CREATION. 

' God has manifested himself in the creation as a being infinitely 
wise.' There is no creature, however useless it may appear, which 
has not its particular destination ; and all are formed in that way 
which is best adapted to answer the purposes of their existence. This 
is at least the case with all those with which we are acquainted, and 
by analogy we may conclude it is the same with those that we do 
not know. If we begin with the sun, and descend to the smallest 
plant, we shall be obliged to acknowledge that, to be properly adapted 
to the end for which they are designed, these creatures could not be 
formed otherwise ; and that for the purpose they are to answer they 
have no defect. The least parts of every creature are evidently ap- 
propriate to its destination ; they accomplish the functions prescribed 
to them by nature ; and were any of its parts to be taken away, the 
whole animal would be imperfect, and unable to fulfil the end of its 
existence. How wonderful is that whole which results from the con- 
nexion and relation which all creatures have with each other ! Each 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 395 

is in its place, each has its proper functions, and these are essential to 
the perfection of the whole ; neither could any of them be wanting, 
or imperfect, without more or less disorder resulting. 

If, then, we represent to ourselves the Being who has formed this 
innumerable multitude of creatures, animate and inanimate ; who 
has not only designed each of them to fill up certain places in the 
creation, but who has also disposed and arranged all their parts in a 
manner the best adapted to their ends, without any thing superfluous, 
without any thing defective ; who, by the inclination of an immense 
number of individuals, has altogether formed a whole, where the 
most perfect harmony reigns, shall we not be struck with admiration, 
and pronounce with reverential awe, 'O the depth of the wisdom and 
the knowledge of God !' 

'God has manifested himself in the creation as a being infinitely 
wise.' He has every where diffused life and motion. How nume- 
rous are the animated beings his beneficent hand has produced ! 
From the beginning of the world man has always Laboured to become 
acquainted with the different beings that inhabit the earth, and to 
this day he continues to discover new species which were before un- 
known. Life is a blessing, even to the meanest worm that crawls on 
the earth : what pleasure, then, must the Almighty derive from doing 
good, since he has bestowed upon so many creatures the felicity of 
existence. But of what use would life be, if it was destroyed as soon 
as created ] The Creator has taken care that every creature shall 
live long enough to fulfil the end of its creation. He has assigned to 
each the place it is to inhabit, and every individual is provided, im- 
mediately upon its entering the w T orld, with all that is necessary to 
the preservation of its life. Many animals bring with them into the 
world the instinct and degree of industry necessary to enable them to 
obtain nourishment ; others, as man, are at first supported and in- 
structed by their parents ; and the earth's fertility for the benefit of 
her inhabitants is inexhaustible ! Nearly six thousand years have 
elapsed since she began to support the many millions of beings that 
live upon her productions; and though the world should endure twice 
six thousand years longer, it cannot be doubted that a sufficient supply 
of nutriment would still continue to be afforded to the generations yet 
to come. 

With life, how many pleasures and delightful sensations has not 
the Creator granted to all animated beings, and especially to man 1 
How magnificently die has adorned and beautified the world he has 
destined for our temporary habitation! what enjoyments he permits 
us to taste in social life ! what tender, fond, and endearing ties ! what 
affection and sw T eet emotions cheer our hearts! And can ingratitude 
to a Being thus merciful and beneficent ever debase the minds of 
men who are endowed with reason, and the faculty of knowing and 
loving the great Author of their existence 1 Forbid it, heaven ; and 
let us acknowledge in joyful accents that the earth is fall of the 
blessings of God, who manifests himself in the creation as a being of 
all power. 



396 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

This power, infinite as the universe, boundless as the heavens, 
plainly manifested in every creature, is more particularly perceptible 
in the extremes, in the greatest objects of nature, and in the least. 
What but an infinitely powerful Being, surpassing all human concep- 
tion, could have formed the firmament, that immense extent, that 
boundless space in which such myriads of spheres continually, with- 
out interruption, roll their vast orbs *? Who but himself could have 
so long preserved the vast fabric steady upon its foundations, as if to 
endure for ever, and yet sustaining a concatenation of motions varied 
as they are wonderful 1 Who else could have fashioned a body too 
brilliant for mortal eyes to behold, whose splendour is ever undimi- 
nished, and fix it at such an awful elevation in the heavens as at once 
to command the universe, and receive the homage of numerous 
worlds, which, ever circling round, derive their radiance from this vast 
luminary of day 1 

Could any thing short of infinite power impart motion to the earth, 
the moon, and the stars ; prescribe limits to their course, and urge 
their revolutions in endless succession ? 

Are we desirous of considering the presence of divine power in 
the smallest objects, we shall find it equally manifest, incomprehen- 
sible, and wonderful, as in the grandest and most sublime. Examine 
the very dust that strews the earth ; mingled with it are myriads of 
insects, thousands of which united would not make up the bulk of a 
single grain of sand ; yet each of these has its limbs, organs, and 
senses ; each has its instincts and sensations ; and to each the love of 
life is dear, and the desire of preserving it ardent. View the grass of 
the fields, the blossoms of the trees; study well their structure, origin, 
and use, and you will every where throughout the vast extent of 
nature, discover wonders that are worthy of their heavenly Author, 
and capable of calling forth all the gratitude and veneration which 
a virtuous and noble mind can feel for a Being whose attributes fill 
the universe with glory. 



OCTOBER XXVIII. 

LAWS OF INERTIA. 

Inertia is that power of resistance by which alt bodies have a ten- 
dency to remain in the state in which they are. When a body is at 
rest it remains so, till some force is applied great enough to overcome 
its resistance ; and when that is accomplished it continues in a state 
of motion, from the same law of inertia which operated when it was 
at rest ; and it now resists as forcibly those bodies which would retard 
its progress, as it before resisted those which impelled it to move. By 
this means bodies move with regularity, and the laws of motion and 
percussion may be exactly determined. 

If the heavenly bodies did not possess this power of resistance, they 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 397 

could not move with so much order and regularity, and they would 
always require a new moving power to preserve them in motion. 
From this it is evident that the universe is arranged and governed by 
divine wisdom. The removal of any part of this immense edifice 
would derange the whole. Of what use to us would be the regular 
structure of plants and of animals, with the admirable arrangement 
of the heavenly spheres, if none of these bodies were susceptible of 
motion 1 How simple is this law, and how wonderful are its effects ! 
Such always are the works of God : the. principles are beautifully 
simple, and the whole edifice is as admirable. 

In contemplating the works of God, every spectator is not alike 
able to discover the fundamental laws upon which most of the phe- 
nomena depend ; and, consequently, they are not equally able to per- 
ceive and acknowledge the wisdom which directs them. This 
knowledge is reserved for the attainment of the philosopher, whose 
labours are thus amply repaid by the pure and exhausted delight 
which they procure. 

There seems to be a certain degree of inertia inherent in the mind, 
somewhat similar to that which obtains in matter. Those bodies that 
constantly move in the same manner, and towards the same points, 
acquire a tendency to persist in the same direction ; and a human 
mind has a similar propensity for those actions which we have often 
repeated in the same manner. Hence the difficulty of overcoming 
acquired habits. We may make a most excellent use of this propen- 
sity of mind, by directing it to strengthen our habits of virtue. For 
this purpose we have only to repeat very often the same good actions, 
till we are as much accustomed to deeds of virtue as we before were 
to those of vice. This is the more important, because without virtue 
we can never retain a true and lasting tranquillity. 

Whence proceeds those errors which we often commit in this 
respect 1 Why do we follow with unceasing perseverance, imaginary 
good, which in the end leads to destruction 1 Our hearts, seduced by 
that pride which is natural to them, and our minds, dazzled by the 
deceitful lustre of worldly objects, cause us very reluctantly to approach 
the paths of virtue. But let not the violence which we thus do to our 
inclinations and passions discourage us. The practisers of vice them- 
selves are often obliged to restrain themselves in their mad career, 
and resist the impetuosity of their passions, in order to procure some 
temporal advantage, or to shun some particular evil ; and this violence 
which they thus do themselves, in resisting their sensual desires and 
gratifications, must be very painful and severe to men corrupted by 
effeminacy and enervated by dissipation. On the contrary, what 
sweet emotions cheer the heart when the soul retains her command 
over the senses, and preserves them in that subordination which is 
consistent with the dignity of beings endowed with reason ! By 
frequently exercising this command we at length attain that happy 
state, where the soul, elevated above the turbulent region of the pas- 
sions, looks down with compassion upon the deluded votaries of vice, 
and pities the miserable victims devoted to her chains. 



398 STURM'S REFLECTIONS, 

OCTOBER XXIX. 

WANTS OF MEN. 

No creature upon the earth has so many wants as man. He comes 
into the world naked, destitute, and ignorant. Nature has not endued 
him with that industry and instinct which most of the brute creation 
enjoy as soon as born ; she has only given him the capability of ac- 
quiring reason and knowledge.- In some respects, therefore^ the animals 
may seem to be more favoured. They are extremely happy in having 1 
no need of clothes, instruments, and those conveniences so necessary 
to man ; and in not being obliged to exercise that variety of arts and 
occupations, without which we cannot procure what our necessities 
demand. They possess at their birth, clothing, weapons, and every 
thing they require ; or, if they require any thing more, they can easily 
procure it by means of their instinct, which they have only to follow 
blindly. If they want habitations, they know instinctively how to 
construct them. Do thej^ require beds, covering, or clothes, they pos- 
sess the art of spinning or weaving them ; and they can change their 
old garments for new. If they have enemies, they are provided with 
natural arms for their defence ; and aie they ill or wounded, they 
know how to find remedies ; whilst we, who are so much superior to 
all other animals, have more wants, and fewer means of satisfying 
them. 

Perhaps it will be asked, why the Creator has thus given to man less 
natural advantages than he has to brutes 1 and such a question un- 
doubtedly is excusable, if not expressed from motives of dissatisfac- 
tion or murmuring. The divine wisdom is equally manifested in this 
as in all other things. In subjecting man to more wants, God de- 
signed that he should continually exercise that ratiocinative faculty, 
which is given him for his happiness, and to supply the place of all 
the resources of the animals. And because we are destitute of the 
instincts which they enjoy, and that we have so many necessities to 
answer, we are obliged to have recourse to our reason to acquire a 
knowledge of the world, and of our own particular nature ; to be 
diligent, active, and laborious, to secure ourselves from poverty, pain, 
and vexation, and to render our lives peaceable and happy. The 
faculty of reason also enables us to restrain our unruly passions, and 
preserve our minds free from the delusive influence of pleasures which 
might be fatal in their consequences. A few instances will suffice to 
illustrate this. If we could obtain without any labour fruits, and the 
necessary supply of food and other articles which we daily want, we 
should become idle and slothful, and pass our days in uninterrupted 
indolence ; all the faculties of the soul, for want of exertion, would 
become enfeebled, and enervated ; the links that hold society together 
would be broken, because we should no longer depend upon one an- 
other ; and children would have no occasion to apply to their parents 
for support and subsistence. The whole human race must then relapse 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS 399 

into its former barbarism ; and in a state of nature, each individual, 
like the brutes, would only live for himself; subordination could not 
exist, and all mutual obligations and good offices must cease. It is 
therefore to our wants that we owe the development of our faculties, 
and the prerogatives of humanity. They awaken the energies of our 
minds, give them activity and industry, and render our lives more 
pleasant and happy than those of other animals. Our very necessi- 
ties, then, have rendered us sociable, rational, and orderly in our man- 
ners ; and have led us to the invention of many useful arts and sci- 
ences. In general, an active and laborious life is advantageous and 
necessary to man. If his faculties and powers are not exercised, they 
become useless ; he gradually gets into a state of stupidity, ignorance, 
and gross sensuality, with all their concomitant vices ; whilst mental 
and bodily exertions give an agreeable activity to the whole machine, 
and procure as much satisfaction and delight, as it stimulates to in- 
dustry, to science, and to knowledge. 

Natural wants, then, were necessary to render us rational, wise, 
social, virtuous, and happy. If, after having been nourished with our 
mother's milk, we had no farther occasion for assistance or instruction, 
we should only live for ourselves, learn no language, nor make any 
use of our reason ; stupified, and in the profoundest ignorance both 
of ourselves and of all other u eings, we should neither know arts nor 
sciences, nor ever experience that elevation of soul which arises from 
cultivating its powers, nor those sweet emotions of the heart which 
those only feel who are concerned for the good of others. Whereas, 
in the present constitution of things, the wants of children, and their 
total helplessness when they first draw breath, oblige their parents to 
take care of them out of tenderness and compassion ; whilst the children, 
on their part, becorne strongly attached to their parents by reason of 
their wants, and from their fear of danger suffer themselves to be 
guided by them, form themselves by their examples and instructions, 
to make a good use of their reason, and acquire a sense of propriety of 
conduct. They thus grow up in virtue, form useful members of 
society, and are placed in a condition of leading a respectable and 
happy life. 

Possessing, then, all these advantages, we may readily dispense 
with those which animals appear to have over us. We have no need 
of furs or of feathers to cover us, nor of teeth or claws to defend us ; 
of senses more acute than we now possess, or of instinct to enable us 
to procure what is necessary for our nourishment and preservation. 
These gifts of nature would degrade and reduce us to a perfection 
merely animal. Our senses and our reason, aided by our manual 
exertions, are sufficient to procure us clothing, food, and every thing 
necessary for our nourishment and preservation, as well as comfort 
and pleasure, with the abundant use of all the riches so exuberant in 
the kingdom of nature. 

It is proved, then, that those wants of which so many people com- 
plain are the true foundations of our happiness, and the best means 
that divine wisdom and goodness could choose to direct the faculties 



400 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

of man to their greatest possible advantage. Thus it is in the power 
of all men, by conforming themselves to the views of Omnipotence, 
to escape much trouble and vexation ; the great mass of misery would 
thereby be lessened, and we should have joyful cause to acknowledge 
that the sum of good is much greater than that of evil, that our 
afflictions are tempered by a thousand blessings, and that it is in the 
power of every man, by unwearied exertions, aided by virtue and in- 
tegrity, to render his days felicitous, and his life useful to all within 
the circle of his influence. 



OCTOBER XXX. 

HYMN UPON THE POWER AND PROVIDENCE OP GOD. 

God shall be my song. He is omnipotent : the Lord is his name : 
his works are great, and his government extends through all the 
heavens. 

He wills, he speaks, and millions of worlds rise into existence : he 
threatens, and they are reduced to dust. 

Light is his garment : his counsels are wisdom and truth. As 
God he reigns ; truth and righteousness are the foundation of his 
throne. 

Monarch of all the worlds, w T ho is like unto thee 1 Without begin- 
ning of days, and without end of time, thou art eternal in the hea- 
vens, the incorruptible, unceasing source of glory, wisdom, and 
felicity. 

All that is, was, or ever shall be, in heaven, earth, or sea, is known 
to God. He has contemplated his innumerable works from all 
eternity. 

He encompasseth us : he watches over us, and under the shadow of 
his wings we rest in safety. None of our actions escape his penetra- 
tion : he searches the inmost recesses of the heart. 

He is always near us : when we lie down, and when we rise up, 
he is present : he knows our thoughts before we are conscious of 
them : if we climb up to heaven he is there ; and though we should 
fly with the rays of the sun to the boundaries of the universe, or fa- 
thom the depth of the ocean, there he is also. 

He knows our afflictions : he heareth our prayers, and sees all that 
passes in our souls. All our good actions are known to him, as well 
as those that are bad ; and when we are in danger of falling, his 
merciful hand upholds us. 

From eternity he has planned the welfare of man ; we have no- 
thing that does not proceed from him : we are wholly his ; by his 
goodness we live. Let us therefore glorify his name, and continually 
sing his praises. 

Who is able to comprehend and recount the grandeur and magni- 
ficence of God's creation 1 Every grain of dust displays his power ; 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 401 

every blade of grass his wisdom ; and the air, the sea, the hills, the 
valleys, and the meadows, declare his glory. 

God waters the earth, and spreads a verdant carpet beneath our 
feet. His blessings encompass us : the day and night, the corn, and 
the fruit of the vine, joy and abundance, all flow from him. 

Not a sparrow falleth to the earth without his will ; and why shall 
man abandon himself to vexation, and not confide in the paternal 
cares of his God, his protector and constant supporter, under whose 
shelter and guardian power no dangers can overcome, no terrors 
appal 1 With God for our leader, we need not fear the united powers 
of darkness, of oppression, and of iniquity : though tempests roar and 
storms howl around us, we may in safety view the contending ele- 
ments, and calmly contemplate the sublimity of nature, whilst we 
adore the Deity. 



OCTOBER XXXI. 

A HYMN OF PRAISE. 

Thou, O Lord, hast created the hosts of heaven, and the myriads of 
angels, which unceasingly surround thy throne. The immense extent 
of the heavens, with all their magnificence, is the tabernacle of those 
blessed spirits which love and adore thee. 

Thou hast adorned this globe of earth with a thousand beau- 
ties that delight our souls. The sun which animates so many 
spheres, which fertilizes our fields,and enriches us with so many bless- 
ings, never wanders from the vast orb which thou hast prescribed to 
him. 

At thy command the moon's paler radiance nightly gleams in the 
heavens ; and wherever we cast our view we perceive the efTects of 
thy goodness, and thy blessings never cease to visit us. 

Springs and fountains, that ever flow, preserve for us their pure and 
limpid streams. The mild dew waters and refreshes our meadows. 
The mountains and the valleys, the fields and the groves, present us 
with a thousand beauties ; and the whole earth, which thy hand sus- 
tains in infinite space, is full of thy riches, crowned with thy blessings, 
and fertilized by thy bounty. 

Let us bear without murmuring the afflictions of life ; they are 
always solaced by some moments of enjoyment, and mitigated by the 
cheering influence of hope. The grand spectacle of nature ani- 
mates our drooping spirits, and the rays of divine grace dry up all our 
tears. 

But who can fathom the depth of thy ways 1 In this life, good 
and evil accompany each other. Earthquakes, tempests, war, pesti- 
lence, and famine, often disturb the happiness and security of men ; 
and death, unrelenting and unsparing, spreads wide his devastation. 

A breath overturns us, lays us in the tomb, and reduces us to dust. 
34* SA 



402 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

But blessed be the Almighty God, the rock of our safety, and the 
tabernacle of our salvation, who has opened unto us the doors of eter- 
nal life, through Christ Jesus our Lord ! 



NOVEMBER I. 

MARINE ANIMALS. 

Independent of the great variety of plants, herbs, trees, and bushes, 
which grow and twine together at the bottom of the deep, there are 
so many different species of animals, that we cannot possibly know 
them all, much less can we enumerate the individuals that belong to 
each species. 

Among this innumerable multitude of animated beings there is no 
confusion, but all may be easily distinguished ; and in the sea, as 
every where else, a perfect order reigns. All these creatures may be 
arranged in certain classes : each one has its particular nature, food, 
mode of life, distinct character, and peculiar instinct. In the sea, as 
well as upon land, there are shades of gradation, and insensible steps 
from one species to another. Where one ends, the other begins. The 
stone, which is the highest link in the mineral kingdom, is half a 
plant ; the plant, which terminates the vegetable kingdom, partly 
belongs to the animal kingdom ; and the animal kingdom, which 
connects man with the brute creation, has some resemblance to him. 
In the sea, also, nature passes by just gradations from little to great, 
insensibly perfects the different kinds, and connects them all by one 
immense chain, no link of which is defective. 

How prodigious is the multitude of inhabitants contained in the 
sea ! What varieties are found among them ! What diversity of 
forms, of instincts, and of destination ! Some are so small as to elude 
our perception ; others so large, that their enormous bulk inspires us 
with terror. Some of them are destitute of all beauty, and their 
colour so nearly resembles that of the sea, that it is with difficulty 
we can distinguish them. Others are adorned with the most bril- 
liant and magnificent colours. Some species are very unprolific ; and 
if it was not so, they would destroy all the rest. Others, again, mul- 
tiply prodigiously, and are highly beneficial, by supplying men and 
animals with food. 

* Lord, how numerous are thy works ! In wisdom hast thou made 
them all. The earth is full of thy goodness : the great and wide sea, 
wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts, 
display thy marvellous riches. There go the ships ; there swims the 
huge whale, which thou hast formed to sport among the waves, the 
terror of the finny race, to play therein. All these wait upon thee, 
that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.' 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 403 



NOVEMBER II. 

THE WISDOM OF GOD IN CONNECTING THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF 

NATURE. 

As all the members of our bodies, taken collectively, form a whole, 
constructed and arranged with the utmost wisdom, so also the dif- 
ferent varieties of natural productions may be regarded as so many 
members, of which Supernal Power has composed one perfect 
whole. A very slight attention is sufficient to convince us that every 
thing in nature is connected together, and linked so firmly as to form 
a perfect system. Different kinds of mineral earths nourish and sup- 
port the vegetable kingdom, without which animals could not live ; 
and fire, water, and air, are indispensably necessary to the preserva- 
tion of the terrestrial globe. 

There is, then, an indissoluble bond between all the various beings, 
animate as well as inanimate, which compose our globe ; and philo- 
sophers have demonstrated that this globe itself has its necessary con- 
necting links with the sun, the moon, and the whole creation. And 
to combine this immense multitude of different beings and substances, 
so as to form one complete whole, could only be effected by Omnipo- 
tent Wisdom. This alone could unite together so many millions of 
different creatures, and link them in such a manner that they should 
be continually connected, and mutually support each other. 

That we may not be perplexed and confounded by the immensity 
of the universe, let us for the present confine our attention to our own 
globe, which is one of the most inconsiderable parts of the universe. 
The wisdom that we shall there discover may lead us to form some 
idea of that which is manifest in the rest of the creation. Let us 
begin with considering what is immediately before our eyes. If we 
examine the animal kingdom as to the relations it bears to the rest of 
nature, and reflect upon the wants which are common to all animals, 
we shall be struck with the admirable harmony that reigns through- 
out. Warmth, air, water, and light, are all indispensably necessary 
for the preservation of these creatures ; but they must be administered 
in a just proportion : too much or too little would be equally prejudi- 
cial, and destructive of the order of nature. A great increase of heat 
would be fatal to all living creatures ; for if our earth, taken as a 
whole, received more heat from the sun, in every climate the summer 
must necessarily be hotter than it now is ; and experience teaches us 
that in all countries the heat is sometimes so great, that if it was only 
increased in a very small degree, either in intensity or duration, ani- 
mals would die, and vegetables be parched up. On the contrary, if 
we had less heat we should not fare better ; since at present the cold 
is sometimes so severe, that animals are often frozen to death. 

The earth, then, receives from the sun that proportion of heat 
which is best adapted to the state of all living creatures, and any 
other degree of temperature might be prejudicial to them. As exact 



404 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

a proportion is also observed with regard to air. The rising of vapours 
principally depends upon the heaviness of the air, and the descent of 
rain upon its lightness. If the air was not capable of being con- 
densed and alternately rarefied, of becoming at one time heavy, at 
another light, we should not have that diversity of temperature so 
necessary to the vegetation of plants and the life of animals. If the 
air was usually heavier than it is, it would be more charged with 
vapours, clouds, and fogs ; and from its great humidity would be un- 
wholesome, and injurious to plants and animals. If, on the contrary, 
it was lighter, vapours would not ascend, nor collect in form of clouds. 
It is the same every where : nature always observes a just medium ; 
as all the elements are arranged in that manner which is best fitted 
for the preservation of animals, they are also in perfect harmony with 
all other natural things. The air is not only the medium in which 
those variations of temperature so necessary are produced ; it is also 
the medium of sound, and has been appropriated to our ear ; thus 
manifesting the operation of a marvellous wisdom ; for if the air had 
been more or less elastic, denser or more rare, than it actually is, the 
ear would have suffered in consequence ; and the human voice, now 
so sweet and harmonious, would have been more like the report of 
thunder, or the hissing of serpents. The air also contributes to the 
circulation of the blood, and penetrates into the smallest vessels. 
There are numerous other relations between the air and different 
beings ; and in every instance it has all the properties that each 
requires. 

If, then, we consider that many thousand species of plants and 
animals have an equal want of air, heat, and light ; that each of 
these species is different from all the rest, that each has its certain 
and peculiar characteristics, that it is weaker or stronger than others, 
and that, notwithstanding this, the elements are equally well adapted 
to all, and sufficient to supply so many and such different wants ; we 
must acknowledge that a boundless wisdom, which yields to no diffi- 
culties, has alone established the foundation of the universal connex- 
ion and wonderful harmony that reign throughout nature, and link 
together every being in the firm bonds of union. 

In fine, every thing in nature is weighed, measured, and numbered, 
and destined to certain purposes. Not only the trees which rise so 
majestically, the plants which have such beautiful forms, the fields 
and the fertile meadows, the horse that renders us so many faithful 
services, the flocks w T hich feed and clothe us, the mines that yield us 
ornaments and riches, the sea that supplies our table with the choicest 
luxuries, and which floats our navy to either pole, the stars which 
shine upon the earth ; not only all these brilliant productions of nature, 
but the humblest mosses, insects, and shell-fish, combine in the gene- 
ral sum of perfection. 

Infinitely powerful Being ! Creator and Preserver of all things ! 
Can I contemplate these objects without thinking of thee, and 
reverencing thy wisdom ? Without thee all would be darkness, con- 
fusion, and disorder ; without thy salutary influence there would be 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 405 

no order, harmony, or pleasure in the earth. It is thy wisdom which 
beautifies, enriches, and preserves all ; it vivifies and renders happy all 
the creation ; and henceforth, and for ever, shall be the subject of my 
songs. I will unceasingly bless thee, O God, and sing hymns of 
praise to thy honour ; for unto thee appertains all wisdom, power, and 
glory. 



NOVEMBER III. 

REFLECTIONS UPON THE SUMMER WHICH IS PASSED. 

The fine summer days are now gone, and, except the sweet remem- 
brance of our having once enjoyed them, have only left us emblems 
of frailty. How all the face of nature is changed ! The rays of the 
sun faintly pass through the gloomy clouds, and fall upon gardens 
stripped of flowers, upon fields where scarcely any traces of cultiva- 
tion remain, and upon hills where only a few scattered herbs are seen. 
The soft melody of the birds no longer floats on the air ; and the 
mournful silence which universally prevails is only interrupted by the 
croaking of ravens, and the shrill cries of birds of passage, which leave 
us while they seek more temperate climes. The neighbouring moun- 
tains are deserted ; the flocks have forsaken them ; the bleating of 
lambs is not heard ; and the flower-beds in our gardens are laid waste. 
How dull and gloomy are the fields which lately were so beautiful ! 
Their delightful verdure is succeeded by a melancholy aspect, and 
their charms are withered. The clouds are heavy with rain, and 
thick mists veil the morning sun. 

Such are the prospects which nature now presents ; and who can 
contemplate them without thinking on the frailty and uncertainty of 
all earthly things ] The fine days are no more ; even whilst we 
were anxious to enjoy them they fled away. But have we a right to 
murmur at, or to question the dispensations of Providence 1 Certainly 
not. Let us rather call to mind those delightful summer days, and 
the innocent pleasures we then enjoyed, and we shall bless and adore 
the God of the seasons. What sweet sensations have we not experi- 
enced, what pure joys have visited our souls, when we contemplated 
the beauties of nature ; when Ave watched the mountains and the 
valleys gradually become green ; when the carols of the lark were 
heard among the clouds, and the plaintive melody of the nightingale 
stole upon the breeze, or poured along the groves ; when w T e inhaled 
the fragrant breath of the flowers ; when Aurora, rising from her rosy 
bed, smiled upon nature, and diffused around her joy and festivity; 
or when the forests and the hills glowed with the parting rays of the 
sun, retired beneath the western main ! How rich are the presents 
we have received from the gardens, the fields, and the orchards ! 
How exquisite the raptures of our imagination, and the pleasure of 
our senses ! And can we think of the lovely months that are past 



406 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

without experiencing the sweetest emotions, and blessing the great 
Parent of nature, who has crowned the year with his blessings 1 

We now live upon the gifts of summer and autumn. We have 
seen with what activity nature laboured in those delightful seasons, 
to accomplish the beneficent views of the Creator in favour of man. 
How many plants and flowers has not the spring caused to bud; how 
many fruits has not the summer ripened ; and how many harvests are 
gathered in autumn ! At present the earth has completed her designs 
for this year, and is now going to enjoy a short repose. 

Thus nature is continually active during the greatest part of the 
year ; and even during the time of her apparent cessation from labour 
is not entirely idle, but is secretly preparing for a new creation. Let 
us ask ourselves the question, Have we been equally industrious ] 
Have we so employed our time as to produce fruits ] The husband- 
man now counts his sheaves ; and shall we not be able to reckon 
some virtues, some good works 1 Have the pleasures of summer 
rendered us better, and more grateful ] Have we, whilst contemplat- 
ing the beauties of nature, lifted our hearts towards God ] What have 
been our occupations during the long summer days] Have they 
contributed to the glory of God and the welfare of our fellow-crea- 
tures ] While contemplating the sun, the flowers, and all that is 
interesting in nature, have we experienced such sentiments as the 
view of so magnificent a spectacle ought to excite] And can we 
testify that this summer, like many others, has not been lost upon us ] 

We are still blessed with life, and enjoy the power of reflecting 
upon the spring and the summer which are just departed ; but since 
the first dawning of spring, ere the summer sun looked down upon 
the earth, how many souls have passed from these regions of day into 
the dreary confines of death ! It is right, O Lord, that we, whom in 
thy merciful condescension thou yet permittest to draw the breath of 
life, should bless thee for our existence. But the period hastens when 
w« shall also depart ; perhaps we shall never behold the bloom of 
another summer. Let each one of us, then, seriously reflect upon 
the account he will have to give, when called upon, of the days which 
we have passed, and supplicate the God of mercy not to enter into 
judgment with us. 



NOVEMBER IV. 

INCONVENIENCE OF THE NIGHT. 



At this season the nights become considerably longer, and certainly 
this arrangement is in some respects unpleasant. Though a part of 
the night is allotted to strengthen and refresh us by sleep, this very 
operation is a proof of our weak and frail nature. At the commence- 
ment of night all our labours are interrupted, not only from the want 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 407 

of light, but equally as much from the necessity of reposing our 
wearied nature, and recruiting our exhausted strength. 

It is, then, by no means extraordinary, that the nights appear long 
and tedious when we are restless and sleep eludes our desires. How 
anxiously the sick man counts the hours, and longs for the approach 
of morning ! 

Another inconvenience of night is that we are liable to lose our 
way, and encounter fatal disasters. When the sun has withdrawn 
his light, and night has spread her mantle over the earth, the travel- 
ler wanders uncertain of his way, and, unable to trace the path, falls 
among briers and thorns, bogs and quagmires ; or, stepping over the 
precipice, is plunged into the gulf below. In the night-time we are 
also exposed to the attacks of the villain and the depredations of the 
plunderer, either abroad, or when we are retired to rest ; for darkness 
conceals the steel of the murderer, and veils the deeds of iniquity. 
Another inconvenience of night is the cold that then generally pre- 
vails ; and by its regular return we are constantly presented with 
an emblem of death. 

There is neither continual day nor night upon the earth ; and 
though the hours of darkness are so many during the winter, and even 
during the summer the return of darkness constantly divides the day, 
it is yet certain that God has favoured our globe with more light than 
darkness ; an advantage which is still more increased by the twilight, 
as well as the light of the moon and stars. Blessed, then, be the Lord 
for the light of the moon and of the stars ; for the rays of the sun, and 
the splendour of the noon-day! And more especially may his name 
be blessed for the glorious light which his gospel has diffused through 
the deep night of ignorance or error, and of misery. Pure rays have 
descended from heaven to illuminate the gloom in which we were in- 
volved ; and let us ever remember in our darkest nights, in our mo- 
ments of sorrow and adversity, that we are hastening on towards the 
regions of light and joy. Should it at any time happen that in the 
midst of midnight darkness sleep forsakes us, and disease or afflictions 
cause us to number the melancholy hours, let us console ourselves 
with the reflection that we are not plunged in the hopeless certainty 
of an eternal night ; but that we are advancing towards the heavenly 
kingdom, the happy region, wmere night will not exist, where dark- 
ness will cease to alternate with light, and where will be no sickness, 
distress, or sorrow. 

Blessed be the Almighty that the night of ignorance and misery 
which envelops us in gloom is not eternal. Heaven and endless 
glory shall be the portion of the righteous. Hasten on, thou sun, and 
ye radiant stars, that blaze in the firmament, hasten to finish the 
course which is prescribed to you ; that the time of trial, the revolu- 
tions of day and of night, the months and the years which are allot- 
ted me, may be speedily terminated. Enable me, thou light of faith, 
to hail the dawn of that glorious day when the season of night and 
the darkness which now encompass me shall vanish for ever ! Blessed 
morning of eternity, hasten to open thy bright portals, and crown my 



408 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

anxious hopes ! My soul longs to wing its flight to those happy abodes 
of the righteous, to that fair city which endureth for ever, where eter- 
nal day reigns, and no night, no weariness, retards the progress to all 
perfection, knowledge, and felicity. 



NOVEMBER V. 

WOODS AND FORESTS. ' \ 

The surface of the earth presents not to the eye a more beautiful 
picture than that of woods and extensive forests ; and an enlightened 
observer, who calls every thing excellent that is good and useful, finds 
in them much that is worthy of his attention. Let us, then, visit 
these woodland scenes, which will supply us with so many sources of 
admiration and gratitude. 

While our walks in the fields and meadows are less agreeable than 
they were in the late fine season, the forests will be more interesting, 
and productive of real pleasure. There is no place more proper to 
dispose our minds to reflect upon the grandeur and beauty of the 
works of nature than a lonely wood : the solitude of the place, and the 
profound silence which reigns there, dispose the mind to look back 
upon itself, and awaken the powers of the imagination. 

At first the number and variety of the trees attract our attention. 
What distinguishes them from each other is not so much their height 
as the difference that is observable in their manner of growing, in 
their leaves, and in their wood. The resinous pine is not remarkable 
for the beauty of its leaves, which are narrow and pointed, but, like 
those of the fir-tree, they last long, and their verdure during the win- 
ter is very pleasing. The foliage of the lime-tree, the ash, and the 
beech, is much more beautiful and diversified ; their verdure is ad- 
mirable, it cheers and refreshes the sight ; and the broad dentated 
leaves of. some of these trees are beautifully contrasted with the nar- 
rower and more fibrous leaves of others. We are yet but imperfectly 
acquainted with their seed, fecundation, and the different properties 
of their fruits. How many uses are made of the wood of trees ! The 
oak, whose growth is very slow, and whose leaves do not appear till 
those of most other trees are in bloom, supplies us with a very hard 
and durable sort of wood, which art knows how to employ in a great 
variety of works, which are so lasting as in some instances to brave 
the ravages of time. The lighter kinds of wood serve for other pur- 
poses ; and as they are the most abundant, and grow quicker than 
any other, they are of more general utility. 

It is to forest-trees that we are indebted for great part of our houses 
and our ships, for fuel, and for various implements, furniture, and 
utensils. The industry of man leads him to polish, turn, and carve 
wood into a variety of works not less elegant than useful. 

The divine wisdom has distributed forests over the earth with 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 409 

more or less abundance. In some countries they are very distant 
from each other; in others they occupy many leagues, and rise ma- 
jestically into the air. The want of wood in some countries is com- 
pensated by its abundance in others ; and neither the continual use 
that men make of it, the destruction of it by accidental conflagrations, 
nor the great quantities consumed in severe winters, have been able 
to exhaust this rich gift of nature. In the lapse of twenty years we 
may see a forest where we before only saw some low copse, or a few 
scattered trees. 

All this ought to convince us of the power and goodness of our 
heavenly Father, whose wisdom is so superior to that of mortals, and 
who has foreseen the necessities of men in all possible circumstances. 
In those countries where the cold is most severe, or where wood is 
chiefly wanted for the purposes of navigation, the most extensive 
forests grow ; and from their unequal distribution a very lucrative 
source of commerce is derived, forming a new bond of connexion 
amongst men. We all participate in the numerous advantages 
which woods afford ; and in creating forests God has provided for the 
good of each individual. Blessed be our heavenly Father, who has 
mercifully vouchsafed to interest himself on our behalf, before we even 
felt our wants, or could represent them to him ! In every thing he 
has anticipated our . desires ; and may we each individually endea- 
vour, by fulfilling the great ends of our creation, to pay the tribute of 
gratitude, of love, and of praise, so justly due to the God of all 
goodness ! *"..-. 

It has not been intrusted to the care of man to plant and maintain 
forests ; God has reserved this labour to himself ; he plants and pre- 
serves the trees, while man has little share in their cultivation. 
They grow and multiply independently of our cares ; they continually 
repair their losses by new shoots, and are always sufficiently abundant 
to supply our necessities. To be convinced of this we need only con- 
sider the seeds of the lime-tree, the maple, and the elm : from these 
small seeds vast trunks proceed, whose leafy tops rise into the clouds. 
It is the Almighty God who alone has established them, and who 
supports them for ages against the efforts of winds and the shocks of 
tempests. It is he who sends the dew and rain yearly, to recruit the 
verdure and preserve their youth. 

The earth which bears the forests does not create them, neither, to 
speak correctly, does it nourish them. The verdure, the seeds, and 
the blossoms of trees, which they yearly lose, and yearly renew, and 
the sap which is continually dissipated, are losses which would at 
length exhaust the earth if it alone supplied them. Of itself it is a 
heavy, dry, and barren mass, which draws from other sources the 
juices and nourishment which it conveys to trees and plants. The 
principles of their growth do not proceed from the earth ; the air fur- 
nishes in abundance water, salt, oil, heat, and all other matter which 
trees require. 

Let us, thus favoured with so'many blessings, contemplate that Be- 
ing who is the Author of all our good. The forests and the woods 
35 • 3B 



410 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

are the heralds of his bounty ; and we should be guilty of the basest 
ingratitude if we did not acknowledge this benefit, which we witness 
daily in our houses and in our gardens, or wherever we direct our 
view. 



NOVEMBER VI. 

THE SENSE OF FEELING IN ANIMALS. 

Feeling may be justly regarded as the universal sense of animals, 
and the foundation of all other sensations ; for seeing, hearing, smell- 
ing, and tasting, cannot take place without an impression being made. 
As the sense of feeling operates differently in seeing from what it 
does in hearing, and in hearing from what it does in the other organs 
of sensation, we may with propriety distinguish the sense of touch, 
properly so called, from that universal sensation which we have just 
mentioned. They are both produced through the medium of tbe 
nerves. These, of which anatomists enumerate ten principal pair, 
resemble small cords or filaments united together, derive their origin 
from the brain, and are distributed to every part of the body. Wher- 
ever there are nerves, there may be sensations; and wherever is the 
seat of any particular sense, there will also be found nerves that are 
the general organs of that sensation. There are optic nerves and 
auditory nerves, olfactory nerves and gustatory nerves, as well as 
nerves subservient to the sense of feeling, that like it are distributed 
to every part of the body. These nerves proceed from the brain ; 
whilst others pass off from the spinal marrow, through the lateral 
openings of the vertebrse, and are then distributed to every part by 
innumerable ramifications. The nerves subservient to the general 
sense of feeling are also found in the organs of all the other senses, 
because, independently of their own particular sensations, each of 
these organs must be susceptible of feeling. Hence the eyes, ears, 
nose, and mouth, receive impressions that altogether depend upon 
feeling, and are not produced by the nerves proper to these organs. 

That sensation is produced through the medium of the nerves is 
certain, for each part feels more acutely in proportion as its number 
of nerves is greater ; and there is no feeling in those parts where the 
nerves are destroyed, or where no nerves exist. Incisions may be 
made in the fat, bones may be amputated, nails pared, and hairs cut, 
without any pain being inflicted ; or if any is supposed to be felt, it 
is merely the effect of the imagination. The bones are enveloped in 
a nervous membrane, and the nails are attached to a part where many 
nerves intersect each other, forming what is called a plexus of nerves ; 
and pain is only felt when some of these are Avounded or irritated. So 
that when we feel the pain commonly called toothache, the tooth, 
being a bone, is not susceptible of feeling, but the nerve attached to 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 411 

it is extremely sensible, and occasions us to feel the most acute pain 
when it is irritated. 

In thus diffusing the sense of feeling over the whole body, the 
Creator has evidently had our well-being in view. The other senses 
are situated in those parts where they can most conveniently perform 
their functions. And as it was necessary for the preservation and 
welfare of the whole body, that each of its parts should be informed 
of what might be useful or prejudicial, agreeable or disagreeable, it 
w T as necessary that the sense of feeling should be diffused over every 
part of the body. It is a still farther proof of divine wisdom, that 
several species of animals have the sense of feeling more acute than 
falls to the lot of men : for their acuteness of feeling is necessary in 
their mode of life, and compensates their deprivation of some other 
senses. The horns of the snail, for example, possess an exquisite 
sense of feeling, and the least obstacle causes them to be drawn in 
with extreme celerity. How delicate also is the feeling of the spider, 
since in the midst of the web which it has so ingeniously woven, it 
perceives the slightest vibrations which the approach of an insect may 
occasion! Without dwelling, however, upon the sense of feeling in 
animals, it is sufficient to consider it in man for our admiration to be 
abundantly called forth. How can the nerves, which seem to be 
merely susceptible of more or less length, breadth, tension, and vibra- 
tion, transmit to the soul so many different impressions and sensations'? 
Is there between the soul and the body such a connexion, that nerves 
of a determinate size, structure, and tension, shall always produce 
certain sensations ] Has each organ of sense nerves so constituted, 
so analogous to the small particles of matter which emanate from 
bodies, that the impressions they receive from them should be always 
followed by certain determinate sensations ] To these questions it 
may be answered, that our knowledge upon the subject is too limited 
to ascertain the immediate cause of these effects, and we are obliged 
with all humility to acknowledge, that the mystery is at present 
impenetrable. 

Let us, then, be content, and give thanks unto God, that with the 
other senses which he has bestowed upon us, he has also granted us 
that of feeling. If our bodies possessed less sensibility, of how many 
pleasures should we not be deprived ? We could neither have dis- 
cerned what would be advantageous to us> nor what would have been 
prejudicial. Happy would it be if we had as exquisite a sense of 
what is good for our souls; if we rightly appreciated what is excellent 
and honest ; if our desire for holiness equalled our love of pleasure. 



412 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 



NOVEMBER VII. 

REMEMBRANCE OF THE BLESSINGS WHICH WE ENJOYED IN SPRING 

AND SUMMER. 

Let us assemble together, and acknowledge the goodness of our 
God. Let us gratefully remember the moments that have sweetly- 
glided away, while we reposed on the bosom of joy, and, free from 
care and inquietude, suffered our hearts to expand with delight at the 
renewal of nature ; when devotion accompanied us to the verdant 
bower, and every tinge of melancholy was effaced from our abodes ; 
and while we walked along the flowery paths, every where beholding 
the joyful traces of the Deity. 

When from the thick bush, whose leafy shade had attracted the 
aerial songsters, burst upon our ears melody more ravishing than the 
sounds of the sweetest flute, and produced those exquisite sensations 
which fill the heart with delight, and dispose the mind to enjoy the 
pleasures of friendship, harmony, and peace ; smiling nature lavished 
upon us her sweets, and we inhaled the fragrant breath of the rose ; 
whilst the pink and hyacinth diffused their odours far around; and the 
zephyrs, gently playing upon the yielding flowers before night had 
closed their charms, wafted over us the scented gale ; then pure 
delight and soft emotions glowed in our hearts, our souls confessed 
the sweet transport, and our lips, singing in unison with the warbling 
of the birds, attuned the praise of the eternal God. 

Often when cool breezes had refreshed the burning summer air, 
and the birds began to be animated with new life and vigour ; when 
the clouds dispersing had left the deep azure of heaven clear, and the 
sun promised a continuance of his unobscured splendour ; pleasure 
lent us wings, and in sportive mood we quitted the noise and tumult 
of the town to rove in the green fields, or repose in the shady bower. 
There no trouble assailed us ;" wisdom, piety, joy, and innocence 
attended us, whilst in some sequestered retreat we indulged the love 
of nature. The leaves, gently breathed upon by the evening gale, 
while they formed around us a pleasing shade, diffused a refreshing 
coolness; and nature there drew from the richest springs that con- 
tentment which she bestows only upon the pure heart. There our 
bosoms, filled with the sweetest emotions of our own happiness, and 
love of our Creator, throbbed with joy, till the ready tear started from 
our eyes. 

The gay songs from the groves poured through our hearts pleasure 
and gratitude. The joyful bleating of the flocks in the fat pasture, 
the wild note of the shepherd's pipe, and the buzzing of the beetle as 
it fluttered among the flowers, all impressed our souls with joy, and 
elevated our thoughts to the Creator, whose wisdom was thus dis- 
played in the waters, in the air, in the cattle, the insects, and the 
flowers. The country all cheerful and gay, like the happy abode of 
our first parents, presented itself before us. Skirting the distant hori- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 413 

zon, we perceived the dark shade of ancient forests, and hills gilded 
by the rays of the sun. The beautiful mixture of the most diversified 
colours, rural flowers, golden harvest ; the rich verdure of the carpet 
wrought by the hands of nature ; the treasures of the meadows; the 
sweet food of the grazing herbs, that yielded us their wholesome 
milk ; the bread of man yet green in the ear ; were all objects suffi- 
cient to call forth the praise and the gratitude of a feeling heart. 

There nature displayed before our ravished senses the majesty and 
the beauty of her eternal Author ; and we then said, This magnifi- 
cent universe is too beautiful, too grand, to be the abode of men who 
can regard it without emotion. For man the wings of the wind waft 
their refreshing breezes ; for him the rivulets pour along their mur- 
muring streams, while at noontide he rests from his labours, and 
seeks the cool retreat ; for him the corn sprouts, and the trees bring 
forth their fruits ; all the creation serves him, and he regards it not. 

Yet those who love their Lord will discover in the breeze and in the 
brook, in the fields and in the flowers, in the blade of grass and in the 
ear of corn, traces of his eternal sapience, and proofs of his unutter- 
able love and power. The vast creation is the sanctuary of God ; 
the world is a temple consecrated to his glory ; and man was designed 
to be as the priest of nature, and not the oppressive, destructive ty- 
rant of defenceless beings. 



NOVEMBER VIII, 

FOREIGN ANIMALS. 

Every portion of the earth has animals peculiar to itself, and the 
Creator has placed them in one country in preference to another, for 
the wisest reasons. The elephant and the camel are the most re- 
markable animals of the southern countries. They surpass all others 
in size : the elephant, in particular, is like a living mountain, and his 
legs are like pillars. His head is fixed upon a very short neck, and 
armed with two weapons of defence, with which he is able to tear the 
trees up by the roots. With a longer neck he could not have sup- 
ported the weight of his head, nor have kept it in an elevated posi- 
tion : to make up for this he has a very long trunk, which he uses as 
a hand to reach food to his mouth without being obliged to stoop for 
it. He can not only move, bend, and turn his trunk in all directions, 
to perform what we do with our fingers, but he also uses it as an organ 
of sensation. His eyes are small in proportion to the size of his 
body, but they are brilliant, full of fire, and very expressive. In a 
state of nature the elephant, though wild, is neither sanguinary nor 
ferocious ; his disposition is gentle, and he only uses his natural wea- 
pons for self-defence. Unless he is provoked, he does no one any 
harm ; but when irritated, and roused by ill treatment, he is terrible ; 
he seizes his enemy with his trunk, shakes him in the air, and puts 
35* 



414 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

him out of existence by trampling him under his feet. He eats a 
hundred pounds of grass in a day, and his body being of such an 
enormous weight, he bruises and destroys much more with his feet 
than he consumes for food. His principal enemy, and often his con- 
queror, is the rhinoceros, an animal which somewhat resembles the 
wild boar, and uses the horn upon his nose to pierce the belly of the 
elephant. 

A very little attention will be sufficient to enable us to discover the 
wisdom of God in the formation of the elephant : he has produced 
it in a country abounding in grass, and has prevented its being bur- 
densome to the earth by multiplying too fast ; for the female is with 
young two years, and does not couple with the male till three years 
after. 

The camel is one of the most useful animals of the east : it is ad- 
mirably formed to support the severest fatigues in the midst of dry 
deserts and burning sands ; is able sometimes to remain four or five 
days without drinking, and requires but little food in proportion to its 
bulk. It crops the few plants and shrubs that grow in the deserts, 
and when none of these are to be found, a small quantity of beans 
and barley will suffice it for a whole day. Besides the hump upon 
his back, its make is altogether singular ; it has two gullets, one of 
which terminates in the stomach, the other in a sort of bag, that 
serves as a reservoir for water, which remains in it without becoming 
putrid ; and when the animal is thirsty, and has occasion to moisten 
its dry food, it throws up into its mouth a portion of the water, which 
having performed its office, returns with the food into the stomach. 
The ordinary load of a camel is from seven to eight hundred pounds 
weight ; with this weight they will travel several miles in an hour, 
and continue for twelve or fifteen hours at a stretch. 

Among the quadrupeds of the northern regions the most remark- 
able are the elk, the sable, and the reindeer. The. first of these ani- 
mals is large, strong, and well-shaped. Its head, in form, size, and 
colour, nearly resembles that of the mule ; its legs are long, and of 
■great strength ; its skin is of a light gray hue. This animal is timid, 
stupid, and simple. He finds proper food eveiy where, but selects, 
if possible, the bark and young shoots of the willow and the birch. 
He is extremely agile, and with his long legs can make much way in 
a short time. 

The sable wanders in the forests of Siberia, and is much prized for 
its beautiful fur. The chase of this animal is generally the occupa- 
tion of those unfortunate wretches who are exiled to the deserts. 

The reindeer is an animal of a beautiful and elegant form, nearly 
resembling the stag. It provides its own food, which consists of moss, 
grass, the leaves and buds of trees. The inhabitants of the north 
derive great advantages from it ; they eat its flesh, drink its milk, 
and, yoking it to a sledge, are drawn over the ice and the snow with 
wonderful speed. All the wealth of the Laplanders consists in their 
reindeers, whose skins furnish them with clothes, beds, and tents ; 
and in fact they derive from this animal all the necessaries of life. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 415 

How vast and extensive is the empire of God, who has formed all 
species of creatures, and adapted them to every region of nature, that 
they may contribute to the happiness of his people in all parts of the 
globe ! Blessed be his name for ever and ever. 



NOVEMBER IX. 

DIVERSITY OF WINDS. 

The variation of the winds is considerable. In some places they 
are constant during the whole year, always blowing in the same di- 
rection ; in others they change at certain periods, and observe certain 
and regular laws. In the open sea, between the tropics, and for some 
degrees beyond them, an easterly wind continues all the year round 
without any considerable variation. To the north of the line the wind 
blows towards the north-east, and to the south of the line it blows 
towards the south-east, and that more or less, according to the posi- 
tion of the sun. This, however, only strictly holds in the open sea j 
for when islands and great continents obstruct the progress of this 
wind, they may change its course, and in certain places make it take a 
north-east direction. In the southern parts of the ocean a westerly 
wind generally prevails. The nearer we approach the coasts, the 
more variable is the wind, and it is still more so as we advance farther 
inland. 

The constant east wind is chiefly caused by the heat which the 
sun communicates to our atmosphere. In the Indian sea there are 
winds named trading winds, or monsoons, which continue to blow in 
the same direction from three to six months of the year, and during 
a similar space of time blow in the opposite direction. The causes 
operating to produce these are scarcely yet satisfactorily explained ; 
but it cannot be doubted that the alternations of heat and cold, the 
position of the sun, the nature of the soil, the inflammation of me- 
teors, the condensation of vapours into rain, and other similar pheno- 
mena, have great effect in their production. There are certain seas 
and countries which have winds and calms peculiar to them. In 
Egypt and the Persian gulf, during the summer, a burning wind, 
which stops respiration and consumes every thing, very frequently 
prevails. At the Cape of Good Hope, a cloud is sometimes seen to 
form, which the inhabitants term the fatal cloud, or ox-eye : at first 
it is very small, but soon visibly increases, and a furious tempest pro- 
ceeds from it, which oversets ships, and precipitates them to the bot- 
tom of the sea. 

Uncertain and variable winds, which have no determinate direc- 
tion or duration, prevail over the greatest part of the globe ; for though 
certain winds may blow more frequently in one place than in another, 
they do not return at fixed intervals, but begin and end without any 
regularity, and vary in proportion as different causes interrupt the 



416 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

equilibrium of the air. Heat and cold, rain and fine weather, moun- 
tains, straits, capes, and promontories, may contribute, in a consider- 
able degree, to impede their course and change their direction. No 
doubt many other causes, which are unknown to us, influence the 
different modifications and agitations of the air. 

What is particularly remarkable, and daily occurs in almost every 
place, is, that a little before sunrise the air is perfectly still and calm, 
when in a few moments after, just at the break of morning, a pretty 
brisk east wind begins to rise at the approach of the sun, and conti- 
nues some time after he is risen. This undoubtedly proceeds from 
the air, heated by the rays of the rising sun, becoming rarefied, and 
by its consequent expansion displaces the contiguous air, and then 
produces an east wind, which ceases as the surrounding air also be- 
comes heated. For similar reasons an east wind ought always to 
precede the sun in the torrid zone, and blow much stronger than in 
this country, because the sun's power here is much less than in the 
regions bordering upon the line. The wind, then, in the torrid zone 
constantly blows from east to west, whilst a west wind very rarely 
prevails in those parts. 

From these observations we learn that winds are not the effects of 
chance, without either cause or design. In these, as in every thing 
else, the Creator manifests his wisdom and goodness ; and he has so 
arranged them, that they are continually rising, and a dead calm very 
seldom happens. He regulates the motion, power, and duration of 
the winds, and prescribes to them the course they ought to take. 
Their very diversity is of use ; for when a long drought has made 
plants and animals languish and droop, a wind proceeds from the 
seacoast, loaded with exhalations, waters the meadows, and gives 
new animation to nature. When this object is accomplished, a dry 
wind coming from the east restores the serenity of the air, and brings 
back fine weather. The north wind brings along with it numerous 
frozen particles, and purifies the autumnal air from its noxious va- 
pours. Lastly, to the sharp north wind succeeds the south wind, and 
coming from the southern regions, it diffuses a grateful warmth 
through the air. Thus these continual variations of the winds tend 
to preserve health and fertility in the earth. 

Who can make such reflections as these, and not adore God, in 
whose hand are all the elements, and whose word either bids them 
rage or calms their strife ? At his command the storms and tempests 
roar, and, bursting from the ocean's depths, rush to earth's utmost 
boundary ; when again, at his word, all is still and hushed, as on an 
autumnal evening, when not a breeze plays on the surface of the deep. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 417 

NOVEMBER X. 

THE CHASE. 

At this season of the year the chase forms a very principal amuse- 
ment with a certain class of men, and there is much reason to regret 
that so much importance is attached to it ; for the dominion which 
man has over animals, and the pleasure which he takes in subduing 
them, is too frequently mingled with cruelty. It is true that some- 
times the death of animals is necessary to enable us to make that use 
of them for which they are designed, or when their too great increase 
might render them troublesome or hurtful to us ; but even then it be- 
hooves us to render their death as mild and easy as possible : yet, un- 
fortunately, this is very little regarded by the generality of people ; and 
men in this respect show themselves to be more sanguinary than the 
most ferocious beasts. How revolting from every feeling of humanity, 
and the dignity of rational beings, is the practice of hare and stag 
hunting ! Can that be called an innocent pleasure, or a manly exer- 
cise, which instigates us to pursue with implacable fury a poor de- 
fenceless animal, which flies before us in the utmost agonies of fear 
and suspense, till, worn out with fatigue, it falls a helpless victim, 
whilst its groans and dying convulsions are hailed by the joyful shouts 
of the huntsmen 1 And is there a human breast that does not bleed at 
such a picture, or in human shape a monster who can behold such a 
sight without emotion 1 To purchase pleasure by the death of an in- 
nocent, inoffensive creature, and that death imbittered by the most 
cruel torments, is a dear sacrifice of our feelings : and surely that 
pleasure which familiarizes us with scenes of cruelty and of barbarity 
is dangerous and destructive of virtue; for it is impossible for the 
heart of that man to be good, and possessed of noble and generous 
feeling, who can hear with satisfaction the expiring groans of these 
animals ; and it is equally impossible for him to be passionately fond 
of the chase, and centre in it a great share of his happiness, without 
gradually becoming indifferent to the calls of humanity, and deaf to 
the voice of nature. A man of this description is in great danger of 
becoming cruel and sanguinary ; he will soon only derive pleasure 
from scenes of misery and destruction ; and being accustomed not to 
feel for the sufferings of animals, in time he becomes equally regard- 
less of his fellow-creatures. Hunting, then, will be considered by 
men of morality and religion as an occupation irreconcilable with the 
great duties we are called upon to fulfil; and those who are truly 
wise, and wish to be useful members of society, will seek more pure 
and innocent pleasures, and such certainly may be found. 

We possess within ourselves the most abundant sources of pleasure, 
a mind and faculties, the cultivation of which is continually produc- 
tive of the purest and most unalloyed delight ; and in this the great 
science of the Christian and of the philosopher consists, and those 
who pursue it with perseverance acquire the art of being happy with- 

3C 



418 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

out sacrificing their virtue, or destroying- their feelings ; on the con- 
trary, by the continued improvement of their mind, and suffering re- 
ligion to keep pace with knowledge, they attain that happy state 
which the world can neither give nor take away. To diversify their 
pleasures they have only to walk forth into the garden of nature, con- 
template the grand and beautiful objects there displayed, or mingling 
in the cheerful society of men like themselves in the search of truth, 
enjoy that delightful converse which is unknown to the sensualist, 
the ignorant, or the vicious. 



NOVEMBER XL 

DREAMS. 

During the state of sleep the faculties of the mind are not entirely 
at rest ; the imagination is often active, and ideas and images are 
present before us. Such is the case in dreams. However, the soul 
seems to have little share in them, except so far as relates to the 
memory. If we reflect upon our dreams, and examine why they are 
so unconnected and irregular, why the events represented to us are 
improbable, it will be found to proceed from our being more affected 
by sensations than perceptions. In our dreams we often seem to be- 
hold persons whom we have never seen before, or who are long since 
dead ; we see them as if alive, and associate with them things that 
actually exist. If the soul acted as vigorously in dreams as when we 
are awake, a moment would suffice to collect and arrange our scat- 
tered and confused ideas ; but its attention is usually confined to re- 
ceive and follow the representations which are presented to it ; and 
though objects often present themselves very forcibly, they are almost 
always strangely associated, without any regular connexion. Sensa- 
tions succeed each other without the soul combining or arranging 
them. We have, then, only sensations, and not notions ; for notions 
can only take place when the soul compares sensations, and operates 
upon the ideas which it has received through the medium of the 
senses. 

It is singular that in dreams we never imagine that we hear, but 
only that we see ; and it is still more remarkable that the images 
which we see often bear a most exact resemblance to their originals. 
Beautiful landscapes, which we have never attentively observed, are 
presented to us in dreams, more exactly delineated than if drawn by 
the most eminent artists. 

As to the accidental causes of dreams, by which former sensations 
are renewed without the operation of any present and real impression, 
it must be observed, that in a state of profound sleep we never dream; 
we are conscious of no sensation, and our organs of sense are not acted 
upon by external objects. That sense which first yields to the influ- 
ence of sleep is also the first that awakes, being the most lively and 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 419 

active, and more easily excited than the external senses. When 
sleep is more imperfect, and less sound, dreams generally occur : for- 
mer sensations are renewed ; the internal sense, which, by the inac- 
tivity of the external senses cannot employ itself upon present im- 
pressions, exercises itself on preceding sensations, and of these gene- 
rally prefers such as have most forcibly affected it ; hence it is, that 
dreams are either very frightful or extremely agreeable. 

Another circumstance in dreams worthy of attention is, that they 
are often characteristic of the nature of the individual. From the 
phantoms which haunt his imagination during the night, we may 
form some conclusion whether he is virtuous or vicious. A cruel- 
minded man continues to be so even in sleep ; while the man of be- 
nevolence preserves in his dreams the same mild feature of character. 
It is, nevertheless, true, that an impure and vicious dream may be 
occasioned by the state of the body, or by external and adventitious 
circumstances. But our conduct, when first awake, will show 
whether or not such dreams ought to be imputed to us : we have 
only to observe what opinion we form of them at the time. The 
good man is not indifferent with respect to his dreams; and if, during 
his sleep, his mind has wandered from what is strictly just and virtu- 
ous, he is afflicted by it when lie awakes. It generally happens, that 
the mind that reposes with a conviction of the favour of God, has, 
during a state of dreaming, ideas and representations of heavenly 
things. A good conscience often consoles a righteous man in his 
sleep, with the impression of his merits being rewarded by divine 
favour and approbation. 

Sleep, however, is not the only time when^wild and unconnected 
objects produce a confusion of ideas. How many people dream while 
awake ! Some, from high opinions of their own importance and dig- 
nity, because the favour of a prince, or wealth, has raised them to some 
degree of rank. Others place their happiness upon empty fame, and 
feed their imaginations with the vain hope of immortal honour. Such 
beings as these, in the delirium of their passions, and in the intoxica- 
tion of their self-love, may fancy that they are happy, and endeavour 
to make others believe it ; but all such frivolous and deceitful felicity 
vanishes as a morning dream. They have been well described by an 
eminent prophet, when he said, 'They resemble an hungry man 
who dreameth that he eats ; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: 
or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh ; but he 
awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite.' 

Let us, then, never seek our happiness in vain phantoms, and delu- 
sive dreams; but henceforth aspire to obtain, through divine assistance, 
that wisdom which perisheth not, and that glory whose radiance 
endureth for ever, and w 7 hich, when in the last awful moments of our 
existence we take a retrospect of our past life, will not add the sting 
of remorse to the painful separation of the soul from the body, nor 
cause the tears of hopeless repentance to increase the wo of our 
afflicted friends. 



420 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 



NOVEMBER XII. 

EVERY THING IN THE UNIVERSE IS CONNECTED TOGETHER, AND CON- 
CURS TO THE PRESERVATION AND PERFECTION OF THE WHOLE. 

Every thing which the beneficent Creator has produced upon the 
earth is admirably connected together, aud contributes to the mutual 
preservation of the whole. The earth itself, the rocks, the minerals, 
and the fossils, all owe to the elements their origin and support. The 
trees, plants, herbs, mosses, and all kinds of vegetables, derive their 
subsistence from the earth ; while animals, in their turn, live upon 
the vegetable kingdom. All these afterward return to their first 
principles. The earth supplies the plant with its nutriment, the plant 
the insect, the insect the bird, the bird the wild beasts ; and in their 
turn the wild beasts become food for the vulture, the vulture to the 
insect, the insect nourishes the plant, and the plant the earth. Man 
himself, who converts all these beings to his own use, often in turn 
becomes their prey. Such is the circle in which every created thing 
revolves. 

Thus all creatures have been created for each other, and no one 
solely for itself. The tiger, the lynx, the bear, the ermine, the fox, 
and various other animals, yield us furs for our covering. The hounds 
pursue the fleet hare, and hunt down the stag in the forests to supply 
our tables ; while the portion they themselves receive of the prey is 
very small. The ferrets drive the rabbits from their deepest recesses 
into our hands. The Uorse, the elephant, and the camel, are trained 
to carry loads, and the ox to yoke to the plough. The cow gives us 
her milk, the sheep her wool ; the reindeer draws the sledge with 
velocity over the snow and ice : the swine, the hedgehog, and the 
mole, burrow in the earth, and turn it up, that the seeds of plants 
may be more easily propagated. The hawk is subservient to the 
pleasures of the chase, and the hen gives us eggs. The cock's shrill 
cries awaken us in the morning, and the carols of the lark delight us 
in the day. The morning and evening are hailed by the melody of 
the blackbird, and the night is sacred to the varied notes of the 
nightingale. 

The brilliant plumage of the peacock delights the lovers of gayety. 
Fish from the depths of the ocean swarm upon our coasts, and enter 
our rivers in shoals, and supply an abundance of nourishment to men, 
birds, and beasts. The silkworm spins, that we may be clothed with 
its precious web ; and the bees for our use collect their sweets from 
every flower that scents the air. The sea casts upon our coasts mul- 
titudes of crabs, oysters, and various kinds of shellfish, for the use 
of men and animals. The lanternbearer, or great fly of Surinam, 
shines during the night, and gives light to the inhabitants of that 
country. 

If we also examine the different occupations and labours of men, 
we shall find that thev equally tend to the same end which nature 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 421 

has proposed. The mariner tempts the dangers of the sea, and braves 
the storm, to bring to his country merchandise which does not belong 
to him. The soldier sheds his blood in the service of his country, and 
to preserve the well-being of his fellow-citizens. The lawyer is occu- 
pied in the affairs of others ; and sovereigns and magistrates, who sit 
at the helm of government, devote their time and their faculties in 
steering it for the good of the commonwealth. Parents amass trea- 
sures for their children. The husbandman sows and reaps seed, a very 
small part of which falls to his lot to consume. Thus we do not live 
for ourselves alone ; and the wise Author of Nature has so ordered in 
his infinite mercy, that all beings shall be useful to one another. 

From this let us learn what are our moral duties. He who has 
power should succour the feeble. The man of learning should help 
with his advice those who are deficient, and impart of his w r isdom to 
the ignorant. In fine, we should love our neighbour as ourselves ; 
and by so doing we should the most effectually fulfil the designs of 
our Creator. The reciprocal duties which men owe to one another 
have induced them to form societies ; for that which individual powder 
could not effect is readily accomplished by united energy. No person 
eouid ere^t a stately edifice, or construct a palace, if he was obliged 
by himself to lay the foundation, dig the cellars, mould the clay, and 
bake the bricks, raise the walls, cover in the roof, make the windows, 
decorate the apartments, &c. But all this is easily performed when 
several artificers units and mutually assist each other. Such is the 
constant law of nature, that in all the arts and sciences nothing beau- 
tiful or excellent can be effected without the concurrence of several 
persons. How many thousands of men are requisite to make a mo- 
narch powerful, and a nation renowned and prosperous! 

In all this we have abundant cause to acknowledge the wisdom of 
our Creator, who, that all the inhabitants of the earth, and particu- 
larly man, might be happy, has established such relations and con- 
nexions among all beings, that one cannot subsist without the others. 
Experience daily teaches us ihat God has ever in view the welfare of 
his creatures : for this purpose the whole world was planned, and so 
arranged, that all its parts concur to promote the general happiness 
of mankind. Even those things which we consider as the least im- 
portant, and to which we scarcely condescend to turn our attention, 
contribute to our felicity. The very insects which appear so despi- 
cable and insignificant, are highly useful to us. Thousands of hands 
are daily employed in satisfying our wants, and thousands of animals 
perish to support our lives. And in how many other ways, of which 
we are ignorant, is not nature active in our favour ! 

Merciful and indulgent Father ! teach us how to appreciate thy 
goodness, and estimate our felicity ; cause to arise in our hearts the 
desire of doing in future all that our limited faculties and strength 
will admit of, to promote the cause of righteousness among men, and 
to imitate thy goodness to us by assisting, according to our several 
abilities, those who are in need. 

36 



422 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

NOVEMBER XIII. 



COMMON SALT. 



Salt forms the seasoning which is most extensively used, being 
common to the rich and the poor, the king- and the beggar. Its 
savour is so grateful, and it possesseth such excellent properties for 
digestion, that we may regard it as one of the most precious gifts 
which nature has bestowed upon man. We procure it in different 
ways. The inhabitants of the coasts obtain it from the sea. They 
dig pits on the shore, which they call salt-pits, and plaster them with 
clay : at a full tide the sea flows into them ; and the water which it 
leaves soon evaporates by the heat of the sun, and there remains at 
the bottom of the pits abundance of salt. In other places nature fur- 
nishes salt springs, fountains and lakes ; and to obtain salt from these 
the water is evaporated in large caldrons. In some places, again, salt 
is found in solid masses in the mountains ; the most celebrated mines 
are those of Catalonia and Poland. All these different kinds of salt 
are alike in their chief properties. Experience teaches us that a cer- 
tain proportion of salt dissolved in the stomach has a digestive power, 
and prevents the putrefaction and too great fermentation of the ali- 
mentary matter. Hence it is used internally to assist and retsore 
digestion ; to remedy crudities in the stomach ; to excite the appetite ; 
and to stimulate the stomach, whose nerves it gently irritates, and 
favours all its operations. Common salt, then, may be regarded as 
one of the best digestives in nature ; other salts act too powerfully, 
and are too disagreeable to the palate to be mixed with our food. 

Salt is therefore a particular blessing, though perhaps it is less 
esteemed because of its universality. But were we in the practice of 
paying more attention to the blessings which we daily receive from 
God, we should have infinitely more cause to acknowledge and admire 
his goodness. Salt, besides the uses which we have enumerated, is 
interesting to the observer of nature, from its external appearance ; 
the least particles of it seeming as if they were cut into eight angles, 
and six sides, like a die ; hence such masses are of a cubical form. 
And here again we have an evidence of a Supreme Being, who has 
given to the salt an invariable form, and has shaped the different 
masses in the same model from the beginning of the creation ; there- 
by proving that its origin is not owing to chance, or fortuitous circum- 
stances, but to the will of an intelligent Being. And this thought is 
too important, and too essential to our present and eternal peace, to be 
disregarded, or not to be impressed upon our minds so deeply as never 
to be effaced. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 423 

NOVEMBER XIV. 

ORIGIN OF FOUNTAINS. 

All great rivers are formed by the streams of smaller ones uniting, 
and these take their rise from brooks which fall into them ; and the 
brooks derive their origin from springs and fountains. Of this there 
can be no doubt; but whence do springs proceed? Since water, by 
its gravity, as well as fluidity, always occupies the lowest parts of the 
earth's surface, whence can the water come which flows so constantly 
from the most elevated regions 1 

It is ascertained, in the first place, that rain, snow, and generally 
all the exhalations which fall from the air, supply a great portion 
of the water that flows from springs. Hence it is that fountains and 
rivers are so rare in Arabia Deserta, and in certain parts of Africa, 
where it never rains. The waters, then, insinuate themselves into 
the earth, where they penetrate till they are obstructed by beds of 
clay, through which they cannot pass ; and thus accumulating, form 
fountains : or they collect in cavities, which afterward overflow ; or 
the waters gradually rill through innumerable crevices, to the lowest 
places to which they can descend. Thus the water is continually 
flowing, and forms subterranean currents, which, uniting with more 
of the same description, make what is called a vein of water. 

It is, however, very probable, that in some countries fountains do 
not owe their origin solely to the waters which descend from the 
atmosphere ; for considerable springs and lakes are sometimes found 
on high mountains, which would seem not to be altogether produced 
by either rain or snow. There are many springs that in all seasons 
yield the same quantity of water, and even sometimes supply more 
during a time of great heat and long-continued drought than in moist 
and rainy weather. There must, then, be some other cause contribut- 
ing to the formation and continuance of fountains. 

Many springs are formed by vapours, which, being suspended in 
the atmosphere, are driven by currents of air towards mountains and 
elevated places, or by the power of attraction are drawn towards these 
great masses. The atmosphere is more or less loaded with aqueous 
exhalations, which being driven and pressed against hard and cold 
rocks, are condensed in drops, and thus increase the springs. We 
must, however, admit that all springs cannot derive their sources 
from this cause ; for if this was the case, would not the Rhine, the 
Danube, and other rivers, which flow from high mountains, be dried 
up in winter, when these enormous masses are covered with ice and 
snow] Caverns which communicate with the sea, or with lakes, 
must contribute to the origin of fountains. The water of the sea 
having passed into these great cavities by subterranean canals, rises in 
vapours through a number of crevices, and forms drops, which, fall- 
ing by their own gravity, sometimes take a contrary direction, because 
water cannot always make its way where vapours penetrate. Lastly, 



424 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

it is possible that the sea-water, particularly in countries bordering 
upon the ocean, may filter through the earth, and produce springs; 
and such springs have generally a taste resembling that of the waters 
whence they originate. But the springs which are met with near 
the summits of high mountains cannot proceed from such a cause, 
for the sea-water cannot ascend so high. 

All the causes we have now enumerated contribute more or less to 
the origin of fountains; and perhaps there are still other causes ope- 
rating, of which we are ignorant. Nature is always simple in her 
operations ; but this simplicity does not consist so much in employing 
only one cause to produce each effect, as in employing in every case 
the fewest possible causes ; by which the presence of auxiliary causes 
concurring to produce the proposed effect of nature is not prevented. 

Be this, however, as it may, and though the origin of fountains 
were more doubtful and obscure than it really is, we must look up to 
God as the creator and preserver of these salutary springs. * He speaks, 
and the fountains play from the bosom of the hills. The springs be- 
come rivulets, and these swell into noble rivers, which carry fertility 
and abundance through a country. The inhabitants of the meadows 
allay their thirst in the pure streams, and seek repose in the shady 
groves through which they gently flow.' God causes the beneficent 
fountains to spring from the high places of the earth : sometimes they 
wind among the mountains, till their meanders are lost amid the 
distant plains ; or they precipitate themselves in cataracts, and 
increase by the union of different streams. Thus God preserves in the 
kingdom of nature that continual circulation which contributes to the 
fertility of the earth, the salubrity of our dwellings, and the evacua- 
tion of water, where too great abundance would be prejudicial to us. 



NOVEMBER XV. 

HAIR OF THE HEAD. 

If we examine the curious structure and various uses of the hair 
which covers and adorns our heads, we shall find it well worthy of 
our attention, and discover in it evident proofs of the wisdom and 
power of God. 

Each hair appears to the naked eye an oblong slender filament, 
with a bulb at the extremity thicker and more transparent than the 
rest of the hair. The filament forms the body of the hair, and the 
bulb the root. The large hairs have their roots, and even part of the 
filament, enclosed in a small membranous vessel or capsule. The 
size of this sheath is proportionate to the size of the root, being always 
rather larger, that the root may not be too much confined, and that 
some space may remain between it and the capsule. The root or bulb 
has two parts; the one external, the other internal. The external is 
a pellicle composed of small laminae ; the internal is a glutinous fluid, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 425 

in which some fibres are united ; it is the marrow of the root. From 
the external part of the bulb proceed five, and sometimes, though 
rarely, six small white threads, very delicate and transparent, and 
often twice as long as the root. Besides these threads, small knots 
are seen rising in different places ; they are viscous and easily dis- 
solved by heat. From the interior part of the bulb proceeds the body 
of the hair, composed of three parts ; the external sheath, the interior 
tubes, and the marrow. 

When the hair has arrived at the pore of the skin through which it 
is to pass, it is strongly enveloped by the pellicle of the root, which 
forms here a very small tube. The hair then pushes the cuticle before 
it, and makes of it an external sheath, which defends it at the time 
when it is still very soft. The rest of the covering of the hair is a 
peculiar substance, and particularly transparent at the point. In a 
young hair this sheath is very soft ; but in time becomes so hard and 
elastic, that it springs back with some noise when it is cut. It pre- 
serves the hair a long time. Immediately beneath the sheath are 
several small fibres which extend themselves along the hair from the 
root to the extremity. These are united among themselves, and with 
the sheath, which is common to them, by several elastic threads ; and 
these bundles of fibres form together a tube filled with two substances, 
the one fluid, the other solid ; and these constitute the marrow of the 
hair. 

An attentive observer of the works of G-od must acknowledge, that 
his. wisdom is displayed in the structure of a hair, as well as in the 
other parts of the human body. Thus,, from the crown of the head 
to the sole of the foot, there is nothing in man that does not denote 
the perfection of his Creator. Even those parts which appear the 
least considerable, those which might be the easiest dispensed with, 
become important, if we consider them in their relation with the other 
members of the body, or if we examine their wonderful structure and 
destination. This particularly is the case with the hair. Yet there 
are many people who do not think it is worthy of their attention, and 
who do not imagine that any traces of the wisdom and goodness of 
God can be discovered in its formation. But, independent of the ge- 
neral principle, that there is no part of our body which is not useful, 
or without design, it is very easy to assure ourselves of the wise ends 
for which hair has been given to us. In the first place, it contributes 
very much to the beauty of the countenance ; and perhaps this is its 
least use. It preserves the head from the effects of cold and wet, and 
promotes an insensible evacuation of superfluous humours from the 
body. Besides these, it may be useful in many other ways ; and 
though we may not be acquainted with them all, we know enough to 
find great cause to admire and adore the wisdom, power, and good- 
ness of our heavenly Creator in this as well as every other part of our 
structure. 



36* 3D 



426 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

. NOVEMBER XVI. 

SYSTEM OF THE WORLD. 

From the consideration of the earth, which hitherto has principally 
occupied our attention, let us elevate our thoughts to those innume- 
rable worlds, compared with which this globe, which we and so many 
creatures inhabit, is but a point and a speck in the vast system of the 
universe. Let us examine, meditate, and adore. 

In a preceding reflection we described the solar system, the revolu- 
tion of the earth, and the course of the planets. To meditate upon 
the heavenly bodies, investigate their motion, order, and arrangement ; 
to observe their magnificence, number, harmony, and beauty, fills the 
mind with the most sublime ideas of the Creator. We feel our own 
littleness, and bow, with awful reverence and devout humiliation, be- 
fore that ineffable Being, whose throne is the starry heavens, and 
who, though surrounded by myriads of angels and cherubims, deigns, 
through the glory of numerous suns, to look down with compassion 
upon the sufferings of human nature, and cheer the heart of man with 
divine consolation. Glory be to God the Father, and the Son, for 
ever and ever !* 



NOVEMBER XVII. 

LOBSTERS. 

Lobsters would be very deserving of our attention, even if they 
were of no use to us as an article of food. The females of these 
crustaceous animals, a little before this period of the year, undergo a 
great change. They cast off their old coverings, and acquire new 
ones : in thus changing their covering, they at the same time increase 
in size ; and this manner of growing is peculiar to all crustaceous 
animals, which augment in bulk every time they throw off their old 
shells ; and the operation is very painful. At the time of their change, 
their stomach also is renewed ; for both it and the intestines are then 
detached from the body : they gradually dissipate, and it would ap- 
pear that the animal, during that change, fed upon the parts which 
before were subservient to digestion. The small white and round 
stones, which are improperly called crab's eyes, begin to form when 
the stomach is destroyed, and are afterward enveloped in the new one, 
where they continually diminish in size, till at lenth they entirely 
disappear. There is reason to believe that the animal makes use of 

* The translator has ventured to differ from the original very materially in the above 
reflection, which too nearly resembles one already written to be repeated, and must have 
escaped the author's attention. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 427 

them as a. remedy against the diseases of its stomach, or that perhaps 
they are the receptacle which supplies the matter which they use to 
repair the loss of their shells. 

Except at the time when they cast their shells, these animals keep 
at the bottom of the water, at a little distance from the shore. In 
winter they prefer the bottom of deep water, but in summer approach 
nearer the shore, if the want of food does not oblige them to plunge 
deeper in the sea. To enable them more easily to seize their prey, 
nature has given them several arms and legs. Some of their claws 
at times are as large as the head and trunk taken together. They 
also possess the singular property of reproducing their claws and 
horns, when they have been broken ; they can even get rid of them 
when thejr are troublesome. They can perform this operation in any 
posture ; but it is more easily effected when they lie on their backs, 
and the shell is broken, and the flesh bruised with strong pincers at 
the third or fourth joint of the claw. Immediately after the wound, 
the animal bleeds ; the pain causes a general shaking of the limb, 
and soon afterwards the wounded part detaches itself suddenly from 
the body. When the claw has been broken, a gelatinous substance 
oozes out, and stanches the blood ; and if this was taken away, the 
animal would bleed to death. This gelatinous matter envelopes the 
rudiments of the new limb, which at first appears only like an ex- 
crescence, or small cone ; and gradually becoming longer, takes the 
form of a limb, thus replacing the old one. 

The manner in which these animals are propagated is very singu- 
lar. The male carries the prolific matter in a very long thread. What 
chiefly distinguishes it is a double hook under the tail, which is not 
observable in the female. These animals are impregnated about 
autumn ; and if at that time a female lobster is opened, the evidences 
of impregnation are perceived by the presence of several red clots. 
These gradually disappear ; and under the tail, where the female has 
several little fibres, small round eggs are seen, resembling hemp-seed. 
The first eggs are visible in December, and soon amount to more than 
a hundred. As the warmth of the air increases, they grow larger, 
and before midsummer small live lobsters are found among the eggs, 
of the size of an ant, and which remaining attached to the fibres, 
under the mother's tail, are fostered there till all the eggs are hatched. 
They then detach themselves from these fibres, and clinging to those 
of the roots of trees and herbs, which grow in the water near the 
shore, they there remain enveloped, till they are sufficiently large and 
strong to abandon themselves to the waves. 

The lobster may justly be regarded as one of the most extraordi- 
nary creatures that exists on the earth. An animal, w T hose skin is a 
stone, which it casts off every year, and receives a new covering ; an 
animal, whose flesh is in its tail and feet, and its hair within its breast ; 
whose stomach is in its head, and is yearly renewed, whilst the first 
function of the new stomach is to digest the old one ; an animal that 
carries its eggs in the interior of the body while they are unimpreg- 
nated, but when that operation has taken place carries them exter- 



428 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

nally under its tail ; an animal with two stones in its stomach, 
which are there engendered, and receive their growth, and upon 
which it feeds till they are consumed ; an animal which of itself can 
get rid of its limbs when they are inconvenient,, and which replaces 
them with others, and whose eyes are placed on long moveable horns ; 
must ever be regarded as a most singular creature, furnishing us with 
new motives of admiring and adoring the wisdom and power of the 
Almighty Creator. 



NOVEMBER XVIII. 

ADVANTAGEOUS SITUATION OF ALL THE PARTS OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

If we attentively examine the different parts which compose the 
human body, we shall find that they are situated in the most conve- 
nient manner for their different uses. It belonged to the Creator to 
arrange them as seemed best to him, and his wisdom has assigned to 
every member that place which is most proper for it ; and in forming 
our bodies, he has not only provided for their necessities and conveni- 
ences, but he has also paid attention to their beauty and ornament. 

With regard to our wants, it is manifest that all the parts of the 
body are situated in the most convenient manner. Our body was to 
be a machine, capable of moving of itself, by the power given to it, 
without the necessity of receiving an impulse from an external force. 
It was requisite that our limbs should execute with promptitude and 
celerity the volitions of our soul. All the bones are united to each 
other ; and that we may easily use our limbs, extend or shorten the 
arm, lower or raise ourselves at pleasure, the bones are divided into 
several articulations, and each one is terminated by a round head, 
which is received into a cavity formed for it in another bone, and it 
moves in this without any inconvenience, because it is covered with 
a smooth and polished cartilage, and moistened by an oily fluid, 
which thus prevents the cartilage's suffering from friction. It is very 
remarkable that these bones are yet so firmly fixed in their sockets, 
that they do not slip, and move from each other, though the feet have 
to support such a heavy burden, and the hands are sometimes obliged 
to bear very heavy weights. 

God has also provided for Our convenience in the arrangement and 
disposition of the different parts of our body. The determinations 
and desires of the soul may be executed by the different organs of the 
body without trouble or impediment. By means of the senses the 
mind is readily informed of all that can interest it, and the different 
members of the body obey its orders. The eye, which watches over 
the whole body, occupies the most elevated place ; it turns with faci- 
lity in all directions, and can observe all that passes. The ears are 
also placed in a conspicuous situation, on each side of the head, and 
they are open day and night to communicate to the soul every im- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 429 

pression of the mind. As the aliments have to pass into the mouth 
before they arrive in the stomach, the organ of smell is placed imme- 
diately above, to preserve us from eating any thing noxious or preju- 
dicial. As to the sense of touch, it has not its immediate seat in 
any one particular place, but is distributed to every part of the body, 
that we may be sensible of pleasure and of pain, of those things that 
are injurious, and of those that are salutaiy. The arms, which are 
the ministers that the soul employs to execute most of its desires, are 
situated near the breast, where the body has the greatest power, and 
without being too far distant from the inferior parts, they are placed 
in that manner which is most convenient for all kinds of exercise 
and labour, and for the defence of the head and other members. 

Lastly, the Creator, in forming our body, has also condescended to 
attend to its beauty ; which he has made to consist in the harmony 
and exact proportion of the members, and in the agreeable blending 
of colours, with a fine and delicate skin. Thus we see that the parts 
of the body which are double, as the eyes, the ears, the arms, the 
legs, are placed on each side of the body at an equal height, answer- 
ing to right and left ; while those that are single, as the forehead, the 
nose, the mouth, and the chin, are situated in the middle. This pro- 
portion obtains in the small as well as in the great. The length of 
the sole of the foot makes the sixth part of the height of the whole 
body, as that of the face is the tenth part. In infants, the head is 
greater in proportion to the rest of the body ; the reason of which is, 
that the head being the principal part of the body, and the seat of 
the senses, it ought sooner to arrive at perfection ; and the more so, 
as being chiefly composed of bones, it cannot extend like the fleshy 
parts, which otherwise it would have done. For in infancy we 
observe, that all the limbs grow at the same time, and extend them- 
selves in length, breadth, and thickness, in such exact proportion, as 
always to be in harmony with the size of the whole body. 

Admire, then, O man, the perfection and beauty of thy body ; 
the relation, harmony, and proportion which are preserved in all its 
parts ! Observe how each member is connected with another, with- 
out their ever being embarrassed, or impeding each other in their 
different functions ; how they are placed in the most suitable places 
of the body, the more easily to fulfil their different functions, and 
mutually to assist one another ! All these organs are so many springs 
in the wonderful machine ; they correspond together, and act in con- 
cert to complete the several purposes for which they are designed. 
Be careful not to destroy this beautiful machine, nor injure it by thy 
disorders and excesses. Be careful not to degrade it by base and in- 
famous passions ; but so act that thy body may be a living monu- 
ment of God's wisdom and goodness. And more especially neglect 
nothing that can tend to improve thy soul, which has been so debased 
by sin ; and use all thy endeavours to re-establish it in its original 
purity by the grace and mediation of thy Redeemer. 



430 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

NOVEMBER XIX. 

ORDER AND REGULARITY OF NATURE. 

When we contemplate the world, we discover in every direction 
the traces of a supreme intelligence, which has ordered every thing, 
and foreseen all the effects that would result from the powers which 
were imparted to nature ; an intelligence which has considered, 
weighed, and measured all things to answer his designs with a 
wisdom that is infinite. Thus, the universe being once formed can 
subsist for ever, and constantly fulfil its destination, without any 
necessity for the first established laws being changed ; whilst the 
contrary is too often the case with the works of men. Machines the 
most skilfully constructed soon cease to answer their intended pur- 
poses : they require frequent repairs, are soon worn out, and rendered 
unfit for use. The cause of these derangements and irregularities 
is to be looked for in their general construction ; for there is no artist, 
however able he may be, who can foresee all the changes to which 
his works will be subjected, much less can he obviate them. 

The corporeal world may also be regarded as a machine, whose 
component parts and different uses are innumerable. It is divided 
into several globes, luminous and opaque, which serve for habitations 
to an infinite number of living creatures of every species. The 
opaque globes move in orbs prescribed to them, and at regular pe- 
riods, round the luminous globes, and receive from them their light, 
heat, day and night, diversity of seasons and temperature, growth, 
and nourishment, according to the nature and wants of the different 
inhabitants. The position and mutual gravitation of the planets are 
so diversified, that it seems also impossible to determine beforehand 
the time when they will return to the point whence they set out, and 
recommence their periodical course ; and, notwithstanding the diver- 
sity of phenomena which these globes present to us, and the astonish- 
ing multiplicity of their movements, it has not once happened, in the 
course of thousands of years, that these enormous masses have ever 
in the least interrupted or obstructed each other in their revolutions. 
All the planets regularly traverse their orbs in the time allotted them. 
They have always preserved their order and respective distances, and 
have not approached nearer to the sun. Their forces are always in 
equipoise, and preserve the same relation to each other. The fixed 
stars are the same to-day as they were a thousand years ago ; nor 
has any alteration taken place in the height of the sun, the duration 
of night and day, or the length of years and seasons. An incon- 
testable proof that in the first arrangement of the heavenly bodies, in 
the measure, the laws, and the relations of their forces, in the regu- 
larity and rapidity of their course, the Author of Nature has foreseen 
and determined the future state of the world, and of its component 
parts, to the utmost limits of time. 

The same may be said of our earth, inasmuch as it is annually 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 431 

subjected to different revolutions and changes of temperature. For 
though it may at first seem as if fine weather, cold, heat, rain, dew, 
snow, hail, storms, lightning, and winds, vary indifferently, and are 
dispensed by accident ; that it is by mere chance that waters inun- 
date the earth, and convert dry land into lakes, and produce conti- 
nents where once were seas ; that some mountains are formed, whilst 
others moulder into dust ; that rivers dry up, or change their course ; 
yet it is certainly true that each modification of our earth has its 
sufficient cause in that which precedes it, and the whole in that 
which was established in the beginning of the creation. 

Nothing is more proper to convince us how little we know of the 
particular causes of natural events, and their connexion with the 
future, than that diversity which we observe in the temperature of 
the air ; a diversity that has so much influence upon the aspect and 
fertility of our globe. In vain may we multiply our meteorological 
observations ; we cannot with any certainty deduce from them cer- 
tain rules and consequences for the future ; and we never find one 
year exactly resemble another. However, w T e are well assured that 
these continued variations, this seeming confusion of the elements, 
■neither alter the figure of our globe, destroy its equilibrium, nor ren- 
der it uninhabitable ; but, on the contrary, that they are the true 
means of preserving, from year to year, its order, fertility, and 
abundance. 

Thus the world is not composed of unconnected, disjointed mate- 
rials, of parts without relation or dependence upon each other ; but 
is a regular and perfect whole, whose structure and arrangement are 
the work of a supreme intelligence. If we see in the world a multi- 
tude of beings with the same nature and destination as ourselves, 
and catenated together by a number of links ; if we discover classes 
and species of other creatures still more numerous, which have also 
mutual ties of connexion, more or less distant ; if we acknowledge 
that by the mixture and action of the elements all these animated 
beings are supported, and receive all that their nature requires ; and 
if we then elevate our views, and, carrying them further, consider 
the relations which exist between our earth and the heavenly bodies, 
their constant regularity of motion, the conformity and wonderful 
harmony that prevail between all the spheres within our sight, we 
shall be more and more filled with admiration and astonishment at 
the magnificence, order, and beauty of nature, and shall be more 
deeply convinced of the infinite wisdom of the Creator ; and from 
what we are permitted to know at present of the beauty and har- 
mony of the material world, we may form some faint idea of the 
glory of that eternal light which will one day manifest to the right- 
eous, in the regions of bliss, the presence of their God, and enable 
them to read in the book of wisdom. 



432 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

NOVEMBER XX, 

OP WINTER IN THE NORTHERN COUNTRIES. 

The time now approaches when the discontent of many pecple is 
excited. The rigorous season of winter seems to them to counteract 
the otherwise sage and beneficent plan of the Father of the universe: 
the rich complain that nature is become desolate and dreary; and the 
poor murmur because in this season their necessities are increased, 
and their indigence is more oppressive. Though ungrateful men 
may magnify the inconvenience and the miseries of winter, they will 
be forced in the end, if they compare their lot with that of some other 
nations, to acknowledge how much goodness and mercy God extends 
to them in this respect. 

In many of the northern countries there is neither spring nor au- 
tumn, while the heat in summer is as insupportable as the cold in 
winter ; which last is so intense, that spirits of wine congeal in ther- 
mometers. When the door of a heated chamber is opened, the exter- 
nal air, penetrating it, converts into snow all the vapours which it 
contains, and the people who are in it are thus encompassed in a 
cloud of white thick flakes. If they go out of their houses they are 
nearly suffocated, and the air seems to tear their lungs. Death ap- 
pears every where to reign, no one daring to quit his abode. Some- 
times the cold is so severe, and comes on so suddenly, that if a man 
cannot escape with sufficient celerity he is in danger of losing an 
arm or a leg, or even life itself. The fall of snow is still more dan- 
gerous ; the wind driving it with such violence, that the roads are 
blocked up, the trees and bushes are covered with it, and every step 
plunges the unwary traveller in some new precipice. In summer, for 
three months successively, there is constant day ; and in winter, for 
the same space, there is a continued night. 

What would those people say, who complain of its being cold in 
this country, if they were obliged to live in such a climate as that 
which we have just described? It is certain we do not sufficiently 
know the advantages we possess, or a very slight reflection would 
suffice to render us content with our lot. The days of winter, how- 
ever severe we may think them, even in this country, are, neverthe- 
less, supportable ; and if some people suffer much from them, it is 
commonly owing to improper living that they have reduced them- 
selves to such a state of effeminacy. 

Some people will perhaps ask, why the Creator has assigned as an 
abode to so many thousands of men countries where, during a great 
part of the year, nature is seen clothed with terror ? Why has he not 
favoured these people as much as he has blessed us 1 Vain questions ! 
It is an error to suppose that the inhabitants of the poles are unhappy 
from the severity and length of their winters. Poor, but exempt by 
their simplicity from all desires difficult to be gratified, these people 
live contented, and are happy in the midst of the icy rocks which en- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 433 

compass them, without knowing the comforts that the inhabitants of 
more temperate countries regard as the most essential to their felicity. 
If the dryness of the soil prevents the productions of the earth from 
being so varied as are those of our climate, the sea compensates for it 
by gifts equally rich. The manner in which these people live inures 
them to the cold, and enables them to brave the storms ; and nature 
has supplied them with the necessary assistance to support the rigours 
of their climate. She has given them the reindeer, from which they 
obtain their nourishment, bedding, clothing, and tents ; and thus 
their principal wants are satisfied by an animal which costs them 
very little for its maintenance. Their deserts are filled with wild 
beasts, whose furs secure them from cold. Though the sun does not 
shine upon them, and they are enveloped in darkness, nature herself 
lights for them a torch, and the aurora-borealis faintly illumines their 
nights. And these very people consider their country as the most 
happy and extensive in the universe, whilst they regard us with as 
much pity and contempt as we can possibly feel for them. 

Thus every climate enjoys its advantages and disadvantages, and 
these are generally so equally balanced, that it is difficult to say which 
has the preference. Considering it in this point of view, there is no 
country upon the earth can be said to be more advantageous than 
another ; whether the sun throws his rays upon it in a particular di- 
rection, or whether they are received obliquely, or whether eternal 
snows whiten the surface. In one place the conveniences of life are 
more abundant ; in another, the variety of blessings is not so great ; 
but to compensate for this, the inhabitants are less subject to tempta- 
tions, to corroding cares, and piercing remorse ; they do not experi- 
ence many obstacles to their happiness, and this doubtless compensates 
for many enjoyments of which they are deprived. And of this we 
may be certain, that Providence has distributed to each country all 
that was necessary to the support and happiness of its inhabitants ; 
every thing is suited to the nature of the climate, and God has pro- 
vided by the wisest means for the wants of all his creatures 



NOVEMBER XXI. 

TRANSFORMATIONS IN NATURE. 

Numerous transformations take place in nature ; indeed it may be 
said, that every thing in the physical world, at one period or another, 
is metamorphosed. The figure of objects continually varies ; cer- 
tain bodies pass successively through the three kingdoms of nature ; 
and there are compound substances, which gradually become mine- 
rals, plants, insects, reptiles, fish, birds, quadrupeds, and man. Every 
year millions of bodies blend together, and are reduced to dust. Where 
are the flowers which, during the spring and the summer, ornamented 
our fields and our gardens 1 One species has appeared, withered, and 
37 3E 



434 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

given place to others. The flowers of March, and the modest violet, 
after announcing by their presence the arrival of spring", have yielded 
their place to the tulip and the rose. In the room of these we have 
seen others, till all the flowers have fulfilled their design. The same 
holds good with regard to man. One generation shows itself, and 
another disappears. Every year thousands of human bodies return 
to the dust from whence they were taken ; and of these evanescent 
bodies others more beautiful are formed. The salts and the oils of 
which they were composed dissolve in the earth; the more subtile 
particles are raised into the atmosphere by the sun's heat, and mixing 
there with other matters, are dispersed in different directions by the 
winds, and fall down in rain and dew, sometimes in one place, and 
sometimes in another ; whilst the grosser particles mix with the earth. 
The grass which is nourished by them grows up into long blades ; 
and it is thus that the flesh of men, transformed into grass, serves as 
aliment to the flocks, whose wholesome milk is again converted to our 
own subsistence. 

These continual transformations, thus operating in nature, are so 
many certain proofs that the Creator has designed that nothing should 
perish or be useless. The dust of flowers, used in the fecundation of 
plants, is only a very small part of what each flower contains ; and 
that the superabundant portion may not be lost, bees are created, 
which make use of it to form their honey. The earth daily presents 
us with new presents, and it would in the end be exhausted, if what 
it gives was not in some way or other returned again. 

All organized bodies suffer decomposition, and are at last converted 
into earth. During this dissolution, their volatile parts rise into the 
air, and are dispersed in every direction.' Thus the remains of ani- 
mals are diffused through the air, as well as through the earth and 
the water. All these particles, so dispersed, unite together again in 
new organic bodies, which in their turn will undergo similar revolu- 
tions. And this circulation, and these continual metamorphoses, 
which commenced with the world, will only terminate with its dis- 
solution. 

The most remarkable transformation, or at least that which interests 
us the most, is that in which we are immediately concerned. We 
know that our body was not once composed, and will not be so in the 
end, of the same number of parts as it is when in its greatest perfec- 
tion. Our body, when in our mother's womb, was extremely smalt; 
it became much larger when we were brought into the world, and 
since then has increased to fifteen or twenty times the bulk it then 
had : consequently blood, flesh, and other matters, supplied by the 
vegetable or animal kingdom, and which formerly did not belong to 
our body, have been since assimilated to it, and are become parts of 
ourselves. The daily necessity of eating proves that there is a con- 
tinual waste of the parts of which we are composed, and that this loss 
must be repaired by alimentary matter. Many parts insensibly eva- 
porate; for since the experiments which a certain great physician 
made upon himself, it is ascertained, that of eight pounds of nourish- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 435 

ment necessary to support a healthy man in one day, cnly the fiftieth 
part is converted into his own substance ; all the rest passing off by 
perspiration and other excretions. Hence also it may be inferred, 
that in ten years there will not remain many of the same particles 
that now constitute our bodies. And at length, when they shall have 
passed through all their different changes, they will be converted into 
dust, till the blessed day of the resurrection, when they will undergo 
that happy and final revolution that will place them in a state of 
eternal rest. 



NOVEMBER XXII. 

THE GREATNESS OF GOD IS FERCEPTIBLE IN THE LEAST THINGS. 

He who loves to meditate upon the works of God will not only 
trace him in the immense spheres which compose the system of the 
universe, but also in the least bodies of insects, plants, and metals. 
He will find and adore the divine wisdom in the spider's web, as he 
would in that power of attraction which preserves the planets in then- 
orbs. These researches are facilitated by the use of the microscope, 
which discovers to us new worlds, where we may admire in miniature 
much that will excite our admiration ; an^ those who have not had 
opportunities of using these instruments will at least read with plea- 
sure some account of microscopic objects. 

Let us first consider the inanimate world. Let us observe the 
mosses and small herbs which nature produces in such abundance. 
How numerous are the subtile parts and delicate fibres contained in 
these plants ! How diversified their form and appearance ! How 
innumerable their species ! Let us think upon the immense number 
of minute parts of which every body whatever is composed, and which 
may be separated from it. If a hexagonal body of an inch square 
contains a hundred millions of visible parts, who can calculate all the 
parts contained in a mountain? If a million globules of water can 
be suspended at the point of a needle, how many ought, there to be in 
a spring, a well, a river, a sea 1 If from a lighted taper there are emit- 
ted in the space of one second more particles of light than there are 
grains of sand on the whole earth, how many ignited particles ought 
there to pass from a large fire in the space of one hour 1 If a grain of 
sand contains several millions of particles of air, how many must 
there be in the human body ? If we can divide a single grain of cop- 
per into millions of parts, without arriving at the elements of matter ; 
if odoriferous bodies can exhale fragrant particles enough to perfume 
the air at a great distance, without the body losing any thing of its 
weight ; the human mind would require an eternity merely to reckon 
the prodigious number of these particles. 

If we now pass to the animal creation, our views will be infinitely 
extended. During the summer, the air swarms with living creatures; 



436 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

each drop of water is a little world, teeming with inhabitants ; every 
leaf is a colony of insects ; and every grain of sand serves as an abode 
to multitudes of animate beings. Every plant, seed, and flower, nou- 
rishes millions of creatures. Every person must have seen those 
innumerable swarms of gnats, flies, and insects, which collect together 
in a very small space : what prodigious hosts of them must then live, 
enjoy themselves, and multiply upon the surface of the earth, and in 
the immense extent of the atmosphere ! How many myriads of 
insects, worms, and reptiles, must creep upon the earth, or be con- 
tained within its bosom ! a number so great as to be known to God 
alone. How splendidly manifest is his power, when we think of the. 
multitude of parts which form these little creatures, of whose very 
existence many men are entirely ignorant ! Were we not assured of 
it by daily experience, could we imagine that there are animals which, 
being a million of times smaller than a grain of sand, have yet organs 
of nutrition, motion, and generation ! There are shellfish so minute, 
that, seen through a microscope, they scarcely appear so large as a 
grain of barley ; and yet they are living animals, with secure habita- 
tions, whose different folds and cavities . form so many chambers. 
How very small is a mite ; and yet, almost imperceptible as it is, seen 
through a microscope, it is found to be a hairy animal, perfect in all 
its limbs, of a regular form, full of life and feeling, and provided with 
all the organs necessary to it ! Though this animal nearly escapes 
our perception, it possesses a multitude of parts much smaller : and 
what is still more wonderful, is, that the glasses which enable us to 
discover so many faults and imperfections in the most finished pro- 
ductions of men, only more plainly indicate the regularity and perfec- 
tion of these minute creatures. How inconceivably fine and delicate 
are the threads of a spider ! It has been calculated, that thirty-six 
thousand would not more than make the thickness of a thread of 
common sewing silk. Each of the six papillae, whence the spider 
draws that glutinous liquor with which it forms its web, is'composed 
of a thousand insensible pores, through which so many threads pass, 
so that each visible thread of the spider is composed of six thousand 
smaller ones. 

Great as these wonders may appear, they are far short of those we 
should discover, were it possible to obtain glasses of greater magnify- 
ing powers ; and even then we could never reach the limits of the 
creation, though our microscopes magnified objects many millions of 
times more than they now do. The more we contemplate the works 
of God, the more will the proofs of his power be multiplied. We are 
confounded by the two extremes of nature, the great and the small ; 
and we scarcely know whether to admire the Creator most in the im- 
mense spheres which roll their orbs in the heavens, or in those minute 
productions which are almost imperceptible to our eyes. 

Let us, then, henceforth regard the contemplation of the works of 
God as our most delightful employment. The trouble that we take 
in investigating them will be amply compensated by the pure and 
innocent pleasures which they will procure us. We shall have an 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 437 

ardent desire awakened in our minds to arrive at those blessed regions, 
where we shall require neither microscope nor telescope to discover and 
to become acquainted with the wonders of God ; where all his works 
will be presented to the eye in unveiled beauty, and where we shall 
distinguish in each object its relations, structure, and destination ; 
where hymns of praise will be chanted by immortal spirits, in cele- 
bration of the Creator of the universe ; and where all distinctions 
between great and little will be lost in one grand whole, that will fill 
our souls with joy, love, and admiration. 



NOVEMBER XXIII. 

GRADUAL INCREASE OF THE COLD. 

The cold begins now to increase perceptibly. With the past 
month, much of the autumnal warmth has departed. It. is already 
colder, and the shorter the days become, the more will the earth lose 
its heat. This we daily experience, and it requires only a slight 
degree of attention to discover in this arrangement the wisdom and 
goodness of God. 

This gradual increase of cold is necessary to prevent the indisposi- 
tion, and perhaps the total destruction of our body. If the cold that 
we experience during the winter months came suddenly with the 
commencement of autumn, we should be benumbed, and the sudden- 
ness of the change might be fatal to us. As it is, we are very liable 
to catch cold in the cool summer evenings ; how, then, w^ould it be, 
if we suddenly passed from the burning heat of summer to the pierc- 
ing cold of winter ] How mercifully has the Creator provided for our 
health and our lives in thus granting us, in those months which im- 
mediately succeed the summer, a temperature that gradually prepares 
our bodies to bear more easily the increase of cold ? What would 
become of those animals whose constitution cannot bear a great degree 
of cold, if winter suddenly came without any previous preparation ] 
The greater part of birds and insects would perish in a single night, 
and with them their eggs and their young : whereas, by the gradual 
augmentation of the cold, they have time to make the necessary pre- 
parations for their preservation. The autumnal months, which se- 
parate the winter from the summer, warn them to quit their abodes, 
and repair to warmer climates, or to seek out places where they may 
pass quietly and in safety the rough season. 

It would be equally fatal to our fields and our gardens, if they were 
to be suddenly deprived of the summer heat : all plants, and parti- 
cularly exotics, w T ould inevitably perish ; and the spring could no more 
yield us flowers, nor the summer fruits. 

It is, therefore, but just that we should acknowledge in this arrange- 
ment the wisdom and the goodness of God ; and not regard it as a 
matter of little consequence, that from the last days of summer to the 
37* 



438 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

commencement of winter, the heat as gradually diminishes as the cold 
increases. These insensible revolutions were necessary, that we and 
all other creatures might be able to subsist, and that the earth might 
continue to open to us her rich stores. Let the presumptuous man, 
who so often dares to blame the laws of nature, only displace one 
single wheel in th3 vast machine of the creation, and he will soon 
have occasion to feel the injury he has done, and learn to his sorrow, 
that though he might disorganize the arrangements of nature, he 
could never amend them. Let us, then, receive it as a truth, that 
nothing is made without just reason ; and no revolution happens 
without a sufficient preparation. All material events gradually suc- 
ceed each other; all are preserved in the most regular order ; and all 
take place exactly at the appointed time: order is the great law with 
which God rules the universe ; and hence it is that all his works are 
so beautiful, invariable, and perfect. 

If it was our constant occupation to study this beauty and perfec- 
tion in the works of God, and to acknowledge in every season of the 
year the traces of his divine power and goodness, we should hear no 
more of those foolish complaints by which we dishonour our Creator ; 
but we should ever find order, wisdom, and goodness, even in those 
productions where we only expected to discover disorder and imper- 
fection ; and we should say, from the fullest conviction, ' All the paths 
of the Lord are truth and mercy ; all his conduct towards his creatures 
love and kindness ; and may we ever revere his covenant, and che- 
rish his precepts.' 



NOVEMBER XXIV. 

SNOW. 

During winter we frequently see the ground covered with snow. 
Every body observes it fall, but very few people give themselves the 
trouble to inquire into its nature and uses. Such is too generally the 
case with those objects which daily come under our notice, and from 
which we derive very considerable advantages. Often, indeed, the 
very things most deserving of our attention are those which we chiefly 
neglect. Let us henceforth be more rational, and begin by devoting 
some moments to the consideration of snow. 

It is formed by very subtile vapours, which being congealed in the 
atmosphere, fall down in flakes more or less thick. In our climates 
these flakes are pretty large ; but we are informed, that in Lapland 
they are sometimes so small as to resemble a fine dry powder. This is 
doubtless caused by the extreme cold which prevails there ; and it is also 
remarked, that in our own country the flakes are greater in proportion 
as the cold is less severe, and they become less when it freezes strongly. 
The little flakes generally resemble hexagonal stars; sometimes, 
however, they have eight angles, and at others ten, and some of them 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 439 

have an irregular shape. The best way of observing them is to 
receive the snow upon white paper : hitherto, little has been said of 
the cause of these different figures. The whiteness of snow may be 
thus accounted for : it is extremely light and thin, consequently full 
of pores, and these contain air : it is farther composed of parts more or 
less thick and compact ; and such a substance does not admit the 
sun's rays to pass, neither does it absorb them ; on the contrary, it 
reflects them very powerfully, and this gives it that white appearance 
which we see in it. 

Snow, as it falls, is twenty-four times lighter than water, which 
may be proved by melting twenty-four measures of snow, and they 
will be found to produce but one of water. Snow evaporates consi- 
derably, and the greatest degree of cold does not obstruct this evapora- 
tion. It has been doubted whether snow ever falls at sea; but those 
who have navigated the northern seas in winter affirm that they have 
there seen much snow. It is well known that high mountains are 
never entirely without snow ; and though a small portion of it is 
sometimes melted, new flakes soon replace it. The air being much 
warmer in the plains than it is on the mountains, it may rain on the 
one while it snows on the other. 

Snow has several uses. As the cold of winter is much more destruc- 
tive to the vegetable than to the animal kingdom, plants would 
perish if they were not preserved by some covering. God has then 
designed that the rain, which, during the summer, descended to 
refresh and reanimate the plants, should fall in winter like soft wool, 
to cover and protect them from the injuries they must otherwise have 
sustained from the frost and the winds. When the snow melts, it 
becomes a fruitful moisture to the earth, and at the same time washes 
away from the winter seeds and plants every thing that might pre- 
vent or injure their growth ; and any superabundance of melted snow 
that then remains, goes to supply the rivers and springs that suffered 
during the winter. 

These reflections may suffice to convince us of the goodness of God 
manifested in the meteor of which we have just treated ; and let us 
raise our hearts in j6y and gratitude to that beneficent God, who even 
from clouds and snow pours down blessings and abundance upon the 
earth. 



NOVEMBER XXV. 

SLEEP OF ANIMALS DURING THE WINTER. 

Nature being deprived of so many creatures, which in summer 
rendered her lively and cheerful, now appears gloomy and dead. 
Most of the animals which have disappeared are buried during the 
winter in a profound sleep. This is the case with caterpillars, May- 
bugs, ants, flies, spiders, snails, frogs, lizards, and serpents. It is an 



440 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

erroneous supposition that ants lay up a store of provisions for the 
winter ; the least cold benumbs them, and they continue in a state 
of torpescence till the return of spring : of what use, then, would be 
magazines, since nature has prevented the necessity of their having 
food in the winter, and it is not very probable that they should lay up 
stores for other animals. That which they so carefully collect during 
the summer does not serve them for their subsistence ; they make 
use of it in the construction of their habitations. 

There are many birds which, when food begins to grow scanty, 
conceal themselves in the earth, or in caverns, where they sleep during 
the winter. It is certain, that at the beginning of winter the swal- 
lows which dwell near the seashore, and banks of rivers, hide them- 
selves in the earth, and the wall swallows in the hollows of trees, or 
in old buildings ; and the house, or common swallows, seek the 
bottom of lakes and ponds, where they attach themselves in pairs, 
and clinging to reeds, remain there, seemingly without life or motion, 
till the return of warm weather reanimates them. 

There are also some quadrupeds which, at the close of summer, 
bury themselves in the earth. Of these, the most remarkable is the 
marmot, or mountain-rat, which generally lives on the Alps. Though 
it delights in the highest mountains, in the regions of ice and snow, 
it is yet more subject than any other animal to the benumbing influ- 
ence of cold. Hence it is, that the marmots retire about the end of 
September, or the beginning of October, into their subterranean abodes, 
where they continue till the month of April. Much art and precau- 
tion is observed in the arrangement of their winter habitation. It is a 
kind of gallery, the two wings of which have each a particular 
opening, and both terminate in a place where there is no outlet ; and 
here they dwell. It is lined with hay and moss. These animals do 
not lay up provisions for the winter, because they do not require any. 
Before entering into their winter-quarters, each of them very carefully 
prepares for itself a bed with hay and moss ; and then, after having 
exactly closed both the entrances into their retreat, consign themselves 
to sleep ; and as long as they remain in this state they do not eat any 
thing. At the beginning of winter they are so fat, that some of them 
weigh nearly twenty pounds ; but they gradually become thinner, and 
towards spring are very lean. When they are discovered in their 
retreats, they are found rolled up like a ball enveloped with hay ; and 
during their torpid state they may be carried away without their 
awakening, and even be killed without their appearing to feel. 

Bears eat prodigiously at the beginning of winter : they are natu- 
rally fat, and at that time are still more so; and it is by this exuberance 
of fat that they are enabled to endure their long abstinence during 
their repose in winter. Badgers prepare themselves for their winter's 
repose in the same manner, before they enter their retreat. 

The instinct of these, and other animals, thus teaches them how 
to live so long a time without nourishment. From the first winter, 
and before experience has informed them, they foresee and prepare 
for their long sleep. In their quiet retreat they neither experience 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 441 

want, hunger, nor cold, and they know no otner season than summer. 
Thus the wisdom and goodness of God has provided for the wants of 
all his creatures, and this he effects by a thousand different means 
which human intelligence cannot conceive; and from all this we may 
safely conclude, that as he watches over and preserves every one of 
his works, he will also condescend to guard us from danger, and pre- 
serve us from all evils. 



NOVEMBER XXVI. 

USE OF STORMS. 

During this stormy season of the year, perhaps some discontented 
•people may regard winds and tempests, which are now so frequent, 
as the disorders and scourges of nature ; they do not consider the 
advantages which result from them, nor that without them we should 
be a thousand times more unhappy than we really are. Storms are 
the best means of purifying the atmosphere. To be convinced of this, 
we have only to pay attention to the weather which prevails in this sea- 
son. How many thick and unwholesome fogs, rainy, dark, and cloudy 
days, are we subject to ! Storms are chiefly instrumental in dispers- 
ing these noxious vapours, and by thus driving them from us are very 
beneficial. The universe is governed by the same laws as man, whom 
we may compare to a little world. Our health in a great measure 
consists in the agitation and mixture of our different humours, which 
otherwise would grow corrupt. And so it is with the world. That 
the air may not become injurious to the earth and to animals, it re- 
quires to be in a continual agitation. This is effected by the winds ; 
not, however, those that are gentle and light, but by storms and tem- 
pests, which collect together vapours from different countries ; and 
forming one mass of the whole, thus blend together the good and the 
bad, correcting one by the other. 

Storms are also useful to the sea ; if it was not frequently agitated 
with some degree of violence, the stagnation even of salt water would 
occasion a degree of putrefaction, not only destructive to the nume- 
rous shoals of fish which live in it, but also the sailors who float upon 
its surface. Motion is the soul of all nature, preserving every thing 
in order, and preventing destruction ; and the sea, which contains so 
much animal matter, is not exempted from the general rule ; for 
were it not constantly agitated, its waters would become putrid, and 
cause a general plague. Motion is as necessary to the sea as the 
circulation of blood is to animals ; and those causes which only pro- 
duce a gentle, uniform, and almost imperceptible agitation, are not 
sufficient to purify the whole mass. Storms alone can produce this 
effect, and the great advantages that result from it, not to men only, 
but to many millions of other creatures. 

These, then, are some of the uses which we derive from storms, 

3F 



442 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

and they are sufficient to prevent our regarding them any longer as 
destructive scourges and instruments of wrath. There is nothing in 
nature which has not its inconveniences, and storms are sometimes 
very injurious to individuals; but the evils they occasion are slight 
and partial, compared with the general good that they produce ; and 
we must acknowledge God has arranged every thing with wisdom, 
and that we have abundant cause to be thankful for the present con- 
stitution of things. Happy are they who are convinced that every- 
thing in the universe relates to the general good of all living creatures; 
that the evil existing in the world is compensated by numberless 
advantages ; and that the very means which Providence employs to 
prove and chasten his children are in themselves indispensable bless- 
ings, whose general effects abundantly recompense us for every evil 
that, in particular instances, may result from their operation. 



NOVEMBER XXVII. 

FORTUITOUS EVENTS. 

Properly speaking, chance can produce nothing ; for nothing can 
happen without some real and determinate cause. What is generally 
called chance is nothing more than the unexpected combination of 
several causes, which produce an effect altogether unforeseen. Ex- 
perience teaches us that these sort of occurrences are frequent in 
human life. Unforeseen accidents may entirely change the fortune 
of men, and overturn all their designs. It should naturally seem as 
if the race should be to the swift, the battle to the strong, and success 
to the most wise and prudent : this, however, does not always happen; 
frequently an unforeseen accident, a favourable circumstance, an event 
which could not be guarded against, effect more than the combined 
efforts of power, of genius, and of human wisdom and prudence. How 
lamentable, then, would be the destiny of man, if an infinitely wise 
and beneficent hand did not rule over all events ! If the fate of men, 
of families, and even of kingdoms, often depends upon circumstances 
which appear to us petty and trifling ; and if we were desirous of 
withdrawing these events from the superintendence of Providence, 
we should at the same time deny that he has any influence upon the 
greater revolutions that take place in the world. 

We daily witness the occurrence of accidents upon which our tem- 
poral happiness or misery in a great measure depends. It is evident 
that we cannot guard against these kind of accidents, because we 
cannot foresee them ; and hence it follows, that these unexpected 
events, which are beyond the reach of our understanding, and of our 
precaution and prudence, must be under the especial direction of Pro- 
vidence. God in his wisdom and goodness leaves us more or less to 
ourselves, according as we have greater or less ability to conduct 
ourselves with propriety. In those cases where our power an$ abilities 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 443 

can effect nothing, we may be assured that God will particularly 
watch over us for our good : in all other circumstances, the labour 
and industry of men must concur with the favour and assistance of 
Heaven ; for we cannot expect Providence to act alone in any but 
unforeseen contingencies. As, then, in every thing that we call 
chance, we evidently discover traces of the wisdom, goodness, and 
justice of God, it is manifest that chance itself is subject to divine 
government ; and then it is that the empire of Providence is most 
resplendent. When the beauty, the order, and the arrangement of 
the world fill us with astonishment and admiration, we conclude, 
without hesitation, that an infinitely wise Being must preside over it. 
What a much more powerful reason have we to draw the same con- 
clusion when we reflect upon the great events that are produced by 
accidents which no human wisdom could foresee ! Have we not a 
thousand examples, that the happiness and even the lives of men, the 
fate of empires, the issue of battles, the revolutions of kingdoms, and 
other similar events, often depend upon entirely unforeseen contin- 
gencies ? An unlooked-for event may confound projects planned 
with ability and concerted with prudence, and may at once annihi- 
late the most formidable power. It is upon a firm belief in the saving 
efficacy of Providence that our tranquillity and our hope are founded. 
However great may be the evils which surround us, however terrible 
the dangers that threaten us, God is able to effect our deliverance by 
a thousand ways unknown even to ourselves. The firm persuasion 
of this all-consolatory truth ought to raise in our minds the greatest 
reverence for our God, and induce us to seek him in all things, always 
lifting up our hearts to him, and placing in him all our confidence. 
The belief in this truth, also, ought to repress our pride, and particu- 
larly to inspire those who are in exalted situations with that religious 
awe which they should have for the Supreme Being, who possesses 
so many means unknown to them, by which he can shake or over- 
turn that slender fabric of happiness which their arrogance has reared. 
Nothing is better calculated, than the consideration of this truth, to 
banish from our souls all distrust, anxiety, and discouragement, and 
to raise in us a pure and holy joy. ' The infinitely wise Being has a 
thousand wonderful ways unknown to us, ways of mercy and love ; 
and all his dispensations are regulated by justice and wisdom. He 
wills the happiness of his children, and nothing can prevent it ; he 
commands, and nature obeys his voice.' 



NOVEMBER XXVIII. 

THE MAJESTY OF GOD. 

It is extremely difficult to form any idea of God at all worthy of 
his majesty and greatness. The attempt, however, should be made ; 
nothing contributes more to dignify and improve our nature than such 



444 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

reflections. It is true, that it is as impossible for us to comprehend 
him perfectly, as it is for us to hold the sea in the hollow of our hand, 
or to grasp the heavens with a span. He is at once known to us, 
and concealed from us ; he is near us, and at the same time infinitely- 
above us : known and near, with respect to his existence, though 
infinitely elevated and hidden as to his nature, perfections, and decrees. 
On this account it is our duty to apply ourselves to know his great- 
ness, as it is essential for us to conceive those sentiments of venera- 
tion which are justly due to him. To assist our weakness in this 
respect, let us compare God with what men esteem and admire the 
most, and we shall find that he is infinitely above all. 

We may admire the power of kings, and be filled with astonish- 
ment when, we hear of their conquering vast empires, taking cities 
and fortresses, erecting superb buildings, and making the happiness 
or the misery of whole nations. But if we are struck with the power of 
a man who is but dust and ashes, and whose exploits are due to other 
agents, how much ought we to admire the power of God, who has 
established the earth, and founded the heavens, who rules the sun, 
and sustains the immense fabric of the universe! We are justly 
astonished with the heat of the sun, with the impetuosity of the 
winds, the roaring of the sea, the rolling of the thunder, and the 
rapidity of the lightning ; but it is God who imparteth to the sun his 
fires, who thunders in the clouds, who uses the winds as his messen- 
gers, and sendeth forth the red lightnings as his ministers, and who 
raises and calms the waves of the sea. 

We justly respect those who have distinguished themselves by the 
extent of their genius, and the depth of their knowledge ; but what 
is the understanding, what are all the faculties of men, compared 
with the wisdom of that Great Being, whose eyes penetrate through 
every covering, who numbers the stars of heaven and the sand of the 
sea, who knows the destination of each drop of rain as it falls from 
the clouds, and who at once sees and comprehends the past, the pre- 
sent, and the future ; all of whose works are infinitely great, surpass- 
ing human conception. 

We may be dazzled with the splendour of riches, and admire the 
gorgeous palaces of kings, the magnificence of their furniture, the 
richness of their garments, the beauty of their apartments, and the 
lustre of gold, silver, and jewels, that glitter in lavish profusion : but 
how pitiful and contemptible are all these, compared with the riches 
of God, whose throne is heaven, and whose footstool is the earth ! 
He has formed dwellings for all creatures, and established provisions 
for all men and all animals ; his meadows nourish the cattle, and all 
that is useful or excellent in the world is drawn from his treasures. 
Life, health, riches, glory, honour, and pleasure, are all in his hand, 
and he distributes them to whom he pleases. 

We respect the princes of the earth, who command numerous sub- 
jects, and rule over several countries; but what is that speck of 
earth which is subjected to them, compared with the empire of the 
universe, of which our whole globe is but a small province ; an em- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 445 

pire that extends over all the stars of heaven, and their inhabitants ; 
an empire whose Lord lias all the sovereigns of the universe for his 
servants, and around his throne the cherubim and seraphim, ever 
ready, with wings outspread, to execute his orders 1 

We judge of the greatness of men by their actions and their works; 
and we celebrate kings who have built cities and constructed palaces, 
who have governed well their states, and have successfully executed 
great enterprises : but what are the works of the Most High? The 
creation of the universe; the preservation of so- many creatures; the 
wise and just government of innumerable worlds ; the redemption 
of mankind ; the reward of the good, and the chastisement of the 
wicked. 

Who is like unto thee, O Lord 1 Thou art great, thy name is cele- 
brated ; and t y works proclaim thy grandeur ! Should not a reli- 
gious awe possess our souls at the thought of the presence of the 
world's Eternal Ruler, the God whose glory ever encompasses us ] 
The splendour of the stars fades in the presence of the sun ; and so 
all the glory, wisdom, and power, all the riches and honours of the 
world, are eclipsed by the radiance and majesty of God ! Our soul is 
exalted and enlarged by meditating upon the greatness and excel- 
lences of the Most High, and all our spiritual faculties are rejoiced by 
such sublime meditations ; and our hearts penetrated with joy, vene- 
ration, and gratitude, when, in a holy transport, we represent to our 
minds the Being of beings, the Eternal, Almighty, and Infinite God; 
to whom be all glory, honour, and praise, for ever and ever ! 



NOVEMBER XXIX. 

MOTIVES FOR CONTENTMENT. 

Let our souls enjoy sweet contentment, for God is good; mercy and 
love shine through all his works. Let us contemplate his mighty deeds : 
the world, and all that it contains, announce his glory; all that he has 
created is worthy of him alone. 

The heavens and the earth are proofs of his power ; the sun who 
rules the day, and the moon who rules the night ; every thing en- 
dowed with life and motion exalt the mighty God. 

Consider the works of his hands : men and brutes show his infinite 
powder ; even the smallest objects, the blade of grass, and the grain 
of dust, teach us the knowledge of the Most High. 

Ask the mountains and the valleys, the heights of heaven and the 
depths of the ocean, the winds and the storms, the reptiles that crawl 
in the dust, and they will proclaim his infinite wisdom and boundless 
power. 

How shall we celebrate and adore that God who has given us life 
and being 1 Our bodies, and the souls which animate them, are the 
.38 



446 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

gifts of his hand ; and let us, whilst we have a being, bless his holy- 
name. 

Objects of his guardian care during the day : each morning wit- 
nesses that he has watched over us through the darkness of the night. 
Every moment that glides away invites us to bless him who is the 
light and strength of our life. 

Are we in adversity, and oppressed by trials and sufferings; scarcely 
have we felt the weight of our affliction, when our merciful Protector 
enables us to support them ; his victorious arm is stretched forth to 
assist us, and all our difficulties vanish. 

Let us never forget this, nor indulge the fear of being abandoned 
by God, who loves all his children ; and may we ever submit to his 
holy will, and bless all his dispensations ; convinced that he will ac- 
complish his merciful designs, for he is omnipotent in counsel, and 
abundant in means. 



NOVEMBER XXX. 

GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF PAST MERCIES. 

Almighty God ! thou art the common Father of all the genera- 
tions which dwell on the earth; thou art my Father also. May 1 
feel myself entirely dependent upon thee, not only for my existence, 
but also for every thing that I possess. I bless thee, and give thee 
thanks, for the life which thou hast given me, and for all the mercies 
which thou hast granted me to the present hour. 

I bless thy providence for the endearing ties of my family, and for 
all the comforts and pleasures that I enjoy in domestic life. 

I am thankful for the life and health which I enjoy, for the abun- 
dance of my food and raiment, and for the conveniences of my habi- 
tation. I thank thee for the success thou hast given to my enterprises, 
and the labours of my vocation ; for all the blessings that thy boun- 
tiful hand has daily conferred upon me, and for every thing that has 
contributed to my preservation and happiness. 

I ought also to bless thee, because, when thou at any time didst 
permit adversity and affliction to visit my habitation, thou didst not 
leave me hopeless, or without consolation. In the midst of my trials, 
and the just chastisements which, for my good, thou hast sometimes 
been pleased to inflict upon me, thou didst not abandon me ; but didst 
soften and render mild the corrections which I suffered, and didst 
vouchsafe me thy favour and heavenly regard. Thy paternal hand 
has always guided me, and thou hast rejoiced to do me good. 

From the experience which I have had of thy goodness, I will feel 
a confidence in thee, and commit into thy hands all my concerns and 
interests ; and I will dare to hope, that long as it shall please thee to 
continue the thread of my life, thou wilt continue to watch over me, 
and, as far as thou deemest it consistent with my real happiness, wilt 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 447 

preserve me from all the evils and accidents that would disturb my 
repose. Grant, then, O Lord, that I may enjoy with a wise and grate- 
ful heart the favours that thou bestowest upon me ; that in prosperity 
my soul may aspire after thee, the Author of all good ; and that if 
thou hast decreed, in the impenetrable counsels of thy wisdom, that I 
should experience affliction and disappointment, I may submit with 
unfeigned resignation to all thy dispensations ; and glorify thee to the 
utmost of my ability, whether basking in the sunshine of prosperity, 
or stemming the rough tide of adversity. 



DECEMBER I. 

HYMN OF PRAISE. 

When I reflect upon the unmerited mercies which I have received 
from thy hands, O Lord, my soul is astonished, and lost in admiration. 
Overwhelmed with thy goodness, my heart swells with joy, and I am 
unable to express the transports of my gratitude. 

While yet asleep, unconscious of life in my mother's womb, thy 
guardian cares watched over me ; and when I first drew my breath, 
thou didst incline thy ear to my infant cries ; my tender lips could 
not then utter thy praises, and thou didst condescend to listen to my 
feeble accents, before they were formed into prayers ; and when, in 
the thoughtlessness of youth, my steps wandered far from the path of 
virtue, thy merciful goodness recalled me to a sense of duty. 

In danger, and in distress, thou hast ever been my rock and my 
fortress ; and hast often preserved me from the snares of vice, the 
most dangerous of all enemies. 

When death hovered over me, and a morbid paleness was diffused 
over my countenance, thou didst rekindle the almost expiring lamp of 
life ; and when the recollection of my past sins imbittered my soul, 
thy grace afforded me consolation and support. 

Blessed be thy name, who hast loved me so well ; who hast be- 
stowed on me the sweets of friendship, and the ties of affection] 
Thou hast granted me the greatest, blessing that the mind of man can 
conceive, for which this heart, entirely consecrated to thee, desires to 
exalt thee : the greatest good which can be enjoyed on earth, gracious 
God, thou hast given me — the permission to approach thy throne, to 
celebrate thy mercy, and to glorify thy adorable name. 

In my fears and in my distresses, in my dangers and tribulations, I 
will confide in thy mercy alone ; and, supported by thee, death will 
lose ail its terrors. 

When the heavens shall pass away with a mighty noise, and the 
fabric of the universe be dissolved, I will rise above the ruins, and 
bless the omnipotent arm that upheld me, amid the crash of a wrecked 
world. O God, eternity itself is too short to utter ail thy praise ! 



448 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

DECEMBER II. 

ERA OP THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, AND OF THE HUMAN RACE. 

If we fix the epoch of the creation of the world according to the 
testimony of the sacred writings, it has scarcely subsisted six thousand 
years. Those who suppose it to be of much more ancient date, are 
contradicted by reason and the monuments of history, which have 
escaped the dilapidations of time. The history of the human race 
does not go farther back than that which has been transmitted to us 
by Moses, for all else that has been said respecting the origin of an. 
cient nations has been advanced without proofs ; neither does it extend 
beyond the deluge. As to the chronological books of the Chinese, 
they are evidently filled with falsities. The Phenicians have no his- 
torian more ancient than Sanchoniatho, who lived after Moses. The 
Egyptian history does not go beyond Ham, the son of Noah ; and the 
books of the Jewish lawgiver remain to be the most ancient, as well 
as authentic, of all the monuments of antiquity. 

If we consider the arts invented by men, we shall find that few of 
them have been known more than two or three thousand years. Man, 
whose nature and reason give him an aptitude for the arts and sciences, 
is also stimulated to it by necessity, and the desire of obtaining con- 
veniences and pleasures, and by his vanity and ambition, as well as 
by luxury, the child of abundance, which creates new wants. This 
has been evident among men in all ages. History informs us of the 
epoch when men had scarcely invented the most necessary arts, and 
when those which were known were very imperfectly understood, and 
when they were ignorant of the first principles of the sciences. Four 
thousand years ago, men were in a great state of ignorance with re- 
spect to most subjects; and if we calculate the progress that they have 
made since that period, and then go back to the remotest ages, we 
may, with some degree of certainty, determine the epoch when men 
knew nothing, or, in other words, that of the birth of the human race. 
If their existence was to be dated farther back, it would have been 
impossible that the most useful and necessary arts should have re- 
mained unknown, during a long series of ages. On the contrary, all 
that the human mind was capable of discovering would have been 
long since known ; and from this circumstance we must then neces- 
sarily conclude, that the origin of the human race could have had no 
other era than that assigned by Moses in his history of the creation. 
It is absurd to suppose, that men, during the space of so many thou- 
sand years, should have remained enveloped in darkness, and plunged 
in a lethargic stupor, from which they suddenly awoke, and all at 
once invented different arts, and procured for themselves all the com- 
forts and pleasures of life. 

It may be also remarked, that the greatest part of Europe was for- 
merly covered by immense forests, very few cities, towns, or villages, 
then existing ; consequently, the number of its inhabitants must then 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 449 

have been much less than at present. Germany, for instance, was 
one continued forest ; from which we may judge of the paucity of its 
inhabitants. Men, at first, could only cultivate the open spaces which 
were found in certain parts of the forest ; they had no private property 
in land, and yearly changed their abode. In all Germany there was 
not a single fruit-tree ; acorns alone were produced. If we wish to 
draw a parallel between the inhabitants of ancient, and those of 
modern Germany, we must separate those which dwell in cities and 
towns ; pay attention to the numerous colonies that have emigrated 
from Germany ; observe that most of the forests being now cut down, 
and the space they occupied converted into arable land, ancient Ger- 
many would then be found to contain scarcely a tenth part of the 
cultivated ground that it now does, and, consequently, but a tenth 
part as many inhabitants. How many millions of men were there less 
at that period than there are at present ! and how abundantly must 
they have multiplied since ! Yet the forests which extend from Ger- 
many to the north-east of Asia, and those still remaining in Africa 
and America, prove that our globe is not near so well peopled as it 
might be. The farther we penetrate into the remote ages of antiquity, 
the less shall we find the earth peopled and cultivated, till we reach 
the epoch of the origin of the human race. 

It is, therefore, impossible that our globe should have been eternal ; 
for if it had, it must have been as well peopled from time immemorial 
as it is at present. 



DECEMBER III. 

THE USE OF WOOD. 

Though we derive very great and numerous advantages from every 
part of a tree, yet none of them can be compared to those which the 
wood itself affords us. Such is its abundance, that we might say 
God provides us every day with a fresh supply, that we might never 
be destitute of so useful a substance. It answers every purpose for 
which we design it ; is pliant enough to be susceptible of any form 
in which we mean to mould it ; firm enough to retain any shape it 
has once received ; and being easily sawed, polished, and bent, we 
procure from it many conveniences and ornaments. These, however, 
are far from being all the advantages which we derive from wood, as 
most of them only contribute to the purposes of convenience or luxury. 
We have more indispensable necessities, which we could not supply 
if the wood did not possess a suitable degree of thickness and solidity. 
Nature, it is true, furnishes us with many hard compact substances ; 
we have stones and marble, which we know how to adapt to different 
purposes. But it is troublesome, as well as expensive, to extract these 
from their quarries, to carry them to a distance, and to work them ; 
whilst with much less expense, and less trouble, we can procure the 
SS* SG 



450 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

largest trees. Wooden piles, several feet long, forced into the earth, 
form a safe foundation for walls, which, without this precaution, would 
sink into the clay, or fall where the ground was sandy. They also 
support the most heavy and extensive buildings ; and other pieces of 
wood sustain the stone-work, and the weight of the tiles, lead, &c. 
which compose the roofs of our houses. 

Wood, in many provinces, is used as the chief article of fuel ; and 
thus cheers the shivering natives in the long nights of winter, when 
the cold mists, and piercing north winds, would otherwise have chilled 
their blood. How necessary, then, is wood, as a part of the creation ! 
and we now see that it was for the wisest purposes that the Author 
of the universe covered so large a portion of the earth's surface with 
forests. 

Whilst reflecting on the comfort and warmth which wood affords 
us at this season of the year, we may thus address ourselves to God : 
* Compassionate Father ! this also is one of thy blessings : I receive 
it from thee with a lively sense of gratitude ; and acknowledge thy 
providential care in providing for me the grateful warmth which 
cheers and invigorates my frozen limbs. Whether I endure the 
scorching days of summer, or feel the winter's piercing cold ; in the 
open air, or in a warm apartment, thou art ever present, and ever my 
benefactor. Let me not forget thy mercies, nor regard even the fire- 
wood with indifference ; but as in each season of the year I receive 
peculiar marks of thy goodness, may I never cease to bless and to glo- 
rify thee, and exalt thy beneficence.' 



DECEMBER IV. 

REMARKABLE PROPERTIES OF CERTAIN ANIMALS. 

We daily enjoy a variety of advantages which we derive from ani- 
mals. The Creator has given us some that live domesticated with 
us, and others for our sustenance ; and all, in one way or another, 
are designed to minister to our necessities and pleasures. 

The dog, independently of the beauty of his form, his strength, 
speed, and vivacity, has all those qualities which endear him to man. 
He possesses great sensibility, is much improved by education, and is 
every way worthy of our affection and regard. He knows how to 
promote our designs, watch for our safety, defend and caress us by 
turns ; and by his assiduous services, and generous disposition, ren- 
ders himself highly useful and agreeable to his masters. Without 
the assistance of this faithful servant we could not so easily subjugate 
other animals. In short, it seems as if God had given the dog to man 
for a companion and a guard. This very interesting animal merits 
still farther attention from his performing many actions, which prove 
that he is not merely a machine, but possesses some principle of intel- 
ligence. How expressive are the signs by which he manifests the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 451 

joy he feels upon his master's return 1 And how different again are 
those that he discovers upon the approach of a thief or an enemy, or 
when in full cry he pursues the hare, as she bounds over the plains ! 

The advantages which we derive from the sheep are still more 
considerable, though it lias hot the gift of pleasing like the dog. 
Every part of the sheep is useful to us ; its milk, wool, flesh, and even 
its bones. A singular property observable in this animal is that of its 
chewing the cud, or ruminating : it at first swallows its food hastily, 
without sufficiently masticating it ; and afterwards can again bring it 
into its mouth, re-chew, and swallow it a second time. This animal 
has but one row of teeth, which defect, however, is remedied by its 
having four stomachs. In the first of these, which is called the paunch, 
and is very large, the food is softened and moistened ; in the second, 
named the cap, or hood, and which is much smaller, flie food is far- 
ther macerated, and digestion begins to make some progress ; from this 
it passes into the third stomach, called the millet, where it is retained 
till it is sufficiently dissolved ; and digestion is finally perfected in the 
fourth stomach, called the rennet bag, in which the food changes its 
colour, and becomes white like milk, though in the third stomach it 
was green. 

The hare possesses instinct for its own preservation, and sagacity 
to enable it to escape from its enemies ; it makes its own form or bed, 
and in winter chooses those places which have a southern aspect, 
while in summer it prefers the north. It conceals itself in furrows, or 
by the side of hillocks, that nearly resemble the colour of its skin. 
When pursued by dogs, it darts rapidly forwards, then turns, and 
returns upon its steps, throws itself into some secret place, and after 
many leaps and doublings, hides itself in the trunk of a tree, or in 
some bush. It is cunning enough continually to change its place of 
abode as circumstances may urge. 

The stag is still more wily and subtle than the hare, and often leads 
the huntsmen a much more arduous chase. The lightness and ele- 
gance of its slender and well-proportioned form ; its branching horns, 
serving both for ornament and defence ; its size, speed, and strength, 
distinguish it from all the inhabitants of the wood, the solitude of 
which it seems formed to embellish and to enliven. 

When we reflect on these and innumerable other animals, we find 
more and more cause to acknowledge the goodness with which the 
Almighty provides for our support, our convenience, and our pleasures. 
Our globe is the habitation of innumerable animals, which are under 
our command, and exist for our comfort and sustenance. And if the 
soil of the earth is so diversified, it is only that a greater number of 
animated beings may find their provisions adapted to their different 
natures. All kinds of soil, good as well as bad, sandy or marshy, 
stony or moist, from the banks of rivers to the summits of mountains, 
are peopled with living creatures, which in one shape or another are 
indispensable to us. There is no place, however steril it may appear, 
that does not support some species of animals that are useful to us. 
And shall not man, thus indebted to the Father of mercy, acknow- 



452 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

ledge his goodness, and be grateful for his favours 1 Can he remain 
insensible to the many blessings he daily receives, or pass over with 
inattention those gifts of nature which he enjoys 1 



DECEMBER V. 

FORMATION OF SNOW. 

Snow is a species of hoar-frost ; it differs, however, in this particular, 
that the hoar-frost falls in the form of dew, upon the surface of certain 
cold bodies which attract its moisture, and to which it adheres; whilst 
the snow, before it falls, is already formed in the upper region of the 
atmosphere by congealed vapours, which observe the same laws in 
falling as fogs, dew, and rain. The air is often very cold, and this 
may be increased to a considerable degree by the density of the atmo- 
sphere, and the accession of acid vapours. It is then very easy to 
understand how the aqueous particles become congealed. What, per- 
haps, contributes the most to give this freezing property to the air are 
the clouds ; and generally every snowy day is also cloudy ; and the 
thicker the clouds, are, the more they interrupt the rays of the sun, 
and prevent their action ; whence must naturally result a degree of 
cold great enough to make the vapours lose their fluidity, and convert 
them into snow. But, upon the same principle, ought it not some- 
times to snow in summer ? No doubt this may happen, and snow 
may really be formed in the superior regions of the atmosphere ; but 
the cold in that season is never sufficiently strong to counterbalance 
the effects of heat reflected from the earth, which melts the congealed 
vapours as they approach the lower regions of the atmosphere ; con- 
sequently they cannot then appear in the form of snow. This is far 
from being the case in winter ; as it is then so cold in the lower 
regions of the atmosphere, and upon the surface of the earth, that the 
frozen vapours in falling can no longer receive a sufficient degree of 
heat to melt them. 

It is a pleasing sight to contemplate the flakes of snow as they fall ; 
in a few moments covering the whole surface of the earth, far as the 
eye can reach ; and it admirably justifies what was said by the pious 
Brookes, when he told us that * even snow has its charms, and winter 
its sweete. Pure and innocent pleasures may be enjoyed by all men, 
except those who, for want of cultivating their faculties, are become 
incapable of reflecting, and never regard the works of God.' 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 453 

DECEMBER VI. 

WINTER PLANTS. 

It is wrong- to suppose that winter is generally destructive to plants 
and trees. So far from it, there can be no doubt that the variations 
of temperature contribute materially to the growth and propagation 
of vegetables. In very warm climates there are immense deserts, that 
would be much more steril if cold did not sometimes succeed to the 
burning heats. And winter, far from being prejudicial to the earth's 
fertility, promotes it. There are plants which thrive in the coldest 
countries, notwithstanding the ice and snow. Many trees, as firs, 
pines, junipers, cedars, the larch, and the box, flourish in winter as in 
other seasons. Houseleek, pepperwort, sage, marjoram, thyme, 
lavender, and wormwood, with many similar plants, preserve their 
verdure during the winter. There are even some flowers that spring 
up under the snow. The single anemone, the hellebore, the winter 
hyacinth and narcissus, the snowdrop, and various species of mosses, 
flourish, and are in flower during the cold. We are informed by bota- 
nists, that the plants of the frigid zone, being placed in greenhouses, 
could not bear a higher degree of heat than thirt)^-eight degrees; 
w T hilst they can support so great a degree of cold as to grow during 
the winter in Sweden, as well as most parts of France, Germany, and 
Russia, and the northern provinces of China. Vegetables which live 
in very cold climates cannot bear much heat, neither can those that 
grow on the tops of mountains. Rocks, and mountains capped with 
snow during the greatest part of the year, have yet plants peculiar to 
them. Many vegetables are found upon the rocks of Lapland, which 
are known also to grow on the Alps and the Pyrenees, on Mount 
Olympus, and the heights of Spitzbergen, but are no where else to be 
met with. When these are transplanted into gardens they grow to 
a considerable height, but bear very little fruit ; and few of the plants 
which thrive in the northern countries will come to a state of perfec- 
tion without snow. 

Thus in the immense garden of nature there is no soil entirely 
barren, from the finest dust to the hardest rock ; from the tropics to 
the frozen regions of the poles, there is no soil which does not produce 
plants peculiar to it ; and no season is entirely destitute of these 
beautiful productions of, nature, fruits or flowers continuing all the 
year round. 

Grant, merciful Creator, that in this severe season thy children 
may not forget thy paternal regard, nor shut their eyes to the bless- 
ings which thou hast graciously condescended to bestow upon them ; 
and permit, that, if thou art pleased to favour them with a length of 
years, they may, in the fulness- of their days, and the maturity of 
their wisdom, bring forth fruit worthy of thee, and beneficial to their 
fellow creatures. 



454 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 



DECEMBER VII. 

EXHORTATION TO REMEMBER THE POOR DURING THE SEVERITY OF 

THE WINTER. 

You who now are sitting at your ease in comfortable apartments, 
cheered by the fire's genial warmth, whilst the north wind blusters 
round your dwellings, reflect upon those unfortunate children of 
poverty who are suffering the accumulated miseries of cold, penury, 
and disease, c Happy is the condition of those who, in this rigorous 
season, have a house to shelter them, and clothes to keep them warm; 
who are refreshed by wholesome food, and recreated by the juice of 
the vine ; who, reposing on downy pillows, enjoy sweet slumbers and 
pleasing dreams. But miserable is the lot of those to whom poverty 
denies a shelter; who have no home, no clothing to defend their 
shivering limbs from the rude blast ; who are unable to make their 
necessities known, and have not a friend to cheer their drooping spirits 
or sooth their afflicted souls with the consoling language of hope ' 

I wish to awaken in the hearts of my readers a sense of the miseries 
to which the lowest classes of society are subjected. I call upon them 
to regard those pitiable objects, whose necessities, too importunate to 
be neglected, oblige them to intrude themselves upon the notice of the 
rich. How many poor creatures are seen feebly crawling along the 
streets, their countenances so haggard by wo, hunger, and cold, as 
scarcely to give the semblance of human nature ! Men venerable in 
years, with scarcely rags sufficient to cover them, obliged to expose 
their hoary heads to the severity of the passing storm, whilst they 
humbly solicit the casual charity of the passenger ! Others, labouring 
under disease, destitute of sustenance and the commonest necessaries 
of life, stretched on some miserable pallet, in cellars or garrets, where 
damp, cold, dirt, and vermin, are their only companions, are lingering 
out their hapless moments in anguish and hopeless despair ! 

Winter, by increasing all the wants of the poor, renders our charity 
to them doubly necessary and indispensable. It is a time when nature 
herself is wild and destitute, and surely by distributing our benefactions 
seasonably we very much enhance their value. If we have been en- 
riched by the fruits of summer and autumn, is it not that we may be 
enabled to share these blessings with our less fortunate brethren, 
whilst nature is in a state of repose ? As the^ cold increases, so should 
we be more disposed to administer unto the necessitous, and pour into 
the bosom of the distressed and the needy a portion of the comforts 
arising from our superabundance ; and the affluent ought particularly 
to be thankful to Divine Providence, for having it in their power to 
imitate his blessed nature, by relieving the necessities of the poor: 
and what nobler end can be answered by the unequal division of for- 
tune, than that of the wealthy feeling for, and relieving the miseries 
of, their less favoured brethren ] 

Let those, then, who enjoy the gifts of fortune, compassionate the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 455 

sufferings of the poor, and learn that it is their duty, and noblest privi- 
lege, to feed, to clothe, to warm, and to console the distressed; to dis- 
sipate their heart-corroding- cares, and snatch them from the cold 
embrace of death. Let those who taste the sweets of independence, 
and revel in the pleasures of luxury, impart a portion of their super- 
fluous abundance ; and let those whose resources are less exuberant 
still give a part, remembering that there are few people who have any 
title to respectability of character, however limited their income, who 
have it not in their power to do some good. Let us, then, enjoy that 
delightful gratification which the noble heart ever feels, the divine 
pleasure of relieving the wants of our brethren, of tempering to them 
the rigours of winter and the keenness of adversity. Who can deny 
himself the consolation of raising a fellow-being from the bed of sick- 
ness and the depths of misery, which he may often effect with ease, by 
retrenching some unnecessary ornament in dress, or curtailing himself 
of some pleasurable extravagance 1 And what more grateful incense 
can be offered up at the shrine of virtue, than beneficence exerted on 
behalf of suffering humanity, by a victory over our passions, or re- 
trenching some expense in luxury or vanity, in ordei to apply it for 
the good of the poor ] 



DECEMBER VIII. 

NATURE IS A SCHOOL FOR THE HEART. 

The study of nature, in every point of view, is profitable ; and it 
may very properly be termed, a school for the heart, since it clearly 
teaches us the duties we owe to God, to ourselves, and to our neigh- 
bours. 

Can any thing inspire us with a deeper veneration for the Supreme 
Being, than the consideration that it is he who not only has formed 
the globe of the earth out of nothing, but who has suspended it in the 
vast regions of space, with all the creatures which it contains ; that 
it is his all-powerful hand that retains the sun in his orb, and the sea 
within its confines ] And can we humble ourselves too much in the 
presence of a Being who has created all those numberless worlds 
which revolve around us ? What diminutive creatures are we com- 
pared with those immense globes ! and how little does the earth and 
all its glory appear, when considered under this point of view ! And 
do we not shudder at the very thought of offending that God whose 
boundless power is every where manifested, and who in an instant can 
wither all our boasted strength, and render nought our most brilliant 
enterprises 1 

The contemplation of nature is particularly conducive to inspire in 
us the emotions of love and gratitude for its Divine Author. All 
nature loudly proclaims the consoling truth, that God is love. It was 
love that induced him to manifest his glory by the creation of the 



456 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

world, and communicating to other beings a portion o± 
which he himself enjoys. For this purpose he created the univei^, 
and an innumerable multitude of creatures, that all, from the first link 
to the last, from the archangel down to the lowest reptile that crawls 
in the dust, should experience, each according to its nature and capa- 
city, the effects of divine goodness. Is there a single creature exist- 
ing throughout the vast regions of created nature which does not 
afford proofs of this heavenly truth 1 Man more especially displays its 
certainty and divine operation, inasmuch as the Creator has not only 
endowed him with reason, more eminently to e#joy the blessings he 
receives, but also to enable him to feel and acknowledge that love 
which is the source of all the favours he enjoys. The Creator has 
given him dominion over all animals, to convert them to his use and 
conveniences ; and for him he has made the earth produce her fruits 
in abundance. And ought not the many blessings which we daily 
receive, and without the continuance of which our existence must 
cease ; ought not the disinterested love of that great Being, who can 
derive nothing from his creatures, and whose felicity is perfect, to 
affect our hearts in the tenderest manner, call forth our gratitude, and 
engage us with irresistible energy to return the love of our beneficent 
Creator] The contemplation of the universe, and the perfections of 
God so clearly manifested, should naturally increase our confidence in 
his power and mercy. And how great ought our tranquillity to be, 
knowing that we are superintended and directed by a Being, the proofs 
of whose wisdom, power, and goodness, we have continually before us 
in every part of the creation! What, then, in the hour of trial, of 
difficulty, and of danger, shall discourage us from offering up our 
prayers to him who has stretched out the heavens, and formed all 
living creatures'? 

Is it possible that base and selfish principles can actuate the heart 
of a man, who, in contemplating nature, every where discovers traces 
of the infinite beneficence of God, who does not propose less the feli- 
city of every individual than the universal good of the whole creation 1 
No one can, for a moment, reflect upon the ways of Providence, 
without being sensibly touched by his goodness and tender cares for 
every living creature ; and the heart which is not incited to imitate 
this universal benevolence, must be depraved and callous to a degree 
that makes us shrink with horror at the thought of its ever existing 
in a human breast. Does not God make i his sun to rise on the evil, 
as on the good, and send his rain on the just, as on the unjust V Let 
us, then, learn charity on that extensive and liberal scale, which 
knows no bounds but those which the Omnipotent has set to the 
human capacity. If we desire to imitate our heavenly Father, we 
must endeavour to raise in our bosoms a spark of that celestial love 
whose cheering warmth diffuses its comforts wherever we go ; and 
the more we impart of it to others, the brighter is its radiance, ever 
inextinguishable. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 457 



DECEMBER IX. 

THE GOODNESS OF GOD MANIFESTED TO MEN, EVEN IN THOSE THINGS 
WHICH APPEAR TO BE HURTFUL. 

It is very usual for men to wish that they were not exposed to any 
evils. If they had the power of choosing, and could regulate at plea- 
sure their condition in life, they would endeavour to obtain one that 
should be exempt from all manner of trouble and affliction. But it is 
a question whether we should be really happy, if nothing ever hap- 
pened to disturb our repose and well-being ; or if the course of our 
lives was to continue in one uniform calm, unruffled by the vicissitudes 
of disagreeable occurrences. This question, upon the decision of which 
much of our tranquillity in this state of existence depends, is highly 
deserving our attention, taking care, at the same time, to avoid the 
delusions of self-love. 

Should we really be happy if we were in this world to enjoy unin- 
terrupted prosperity ? I cannot think we should. Constant prosperity 
would soon become insipid, and disgust would convert our felicity into 
absolute misery. On the contrary, the evils we sometimes experi- 
ence enhance the value of our blessings, as colours are relieved by the 
contrast of shades. If no winter preceded, should we be so sensibly 
affected by the pleasures of spring 1 Without illness, could we justly 
appreciate the value of health ; or taste the sweets of repose without 
toil and labour ? And could we know to their full extent the peace 
and consolation of a good conscience, if we had never experienced the 
trials of temptation, or the pangs of remorse ? The more obstacles 
there are to oppose our happiness, the greater is our joy when we have 
surmounted them. The more sensibly we feel the weight of misery 
and oppression, the greater is our happiness when we are delivered 
from our burden. Besides, if the misfortunes of which we so much 
complain did not sometimes befall us, we should be exposed to evil r 
of much greater importance. If we lived in one continued round of 
prosperity, we should abandon ourselves to pride, luxury, and ambi- 
tion. If we never knew the misery of dependence, and the wretched- 
ness of want, we should have no stimulus to exertion, nothing to rouse 
us to action; no one would exercise his talents, or cultivate his facul- 
ties, and no one would be animated with zeal for the public goocf. If 
we were never exposed to danger, how could we learn prudence, or 
experience the sentiments of compassion for those whose life is in 
danger 1 If we had no misfortunes to fear, how liable should we be 
to forget, in the intoxication of prosperity, our gratitude to God, charity 
for our neighbour, and all the great duties of life ] And are not these 
virtues and noble qualities of the soul infinitely preferable to a con- 
tinued succession of sensual pleasures, which, when they are no longer 
stimulating by their novelty, produce satiety and disgust 1 * He who 
continually reposes on the bosom of prosperity, soon becomes weary of 
exerting himself for the benefit of others, and incapable of any great 
39 3 H 



458 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

action ; but when adversity opens his eyes to his real state, he will 
return to wisdom, activity, and virtue.' 

How foolish and unjust are the desires of men ! They wish to live 
quiet, contented, and happy, and they are dissatisfied with the means 
which will conduct them to the haven of their desires. During the 
heat of summer we sigh for cool breezes, and yet are troubled when 
we see the storm that will procure them begin to threaten. Thunder 
purifies the air, and fertilizes the earth ; and yet when it awfully rolls 
among the clouds, we complain of the fear that possesseth our hearts. 
We acknowledge the utility of coals, sulphur, and minerals, but dis- 
like earthquakes. We are desirous that there should be no contagious 
and epidemic disorders, and yet complain of the tempest which, by 
purifying the air from corruption, takes away one of the chief causes 
producing them. We wish to be served by domestics, and yet are 
unwilling that there should be in the world either poverty or inequality 
of rank. In short, we desire to have every end accomplished, with- 
out suffering the necessary means. 

Acknowledge, then, O man, the wise and beneficent views of thy 
God, even when he permits thee to be tried by the frequent vicissi- 
tudes of joy and of sorrow, of happiness and of misery. Is he not the 
arbiter of thy lot, the Father, of whose merciful goodness thou must 
be convinced even when suffering chastisement] Art thou not in a 
world, the peculiar characteristic of which is to be subject to continual 
changes and revolutions] And hast thou not often found, that what 
thy ignorance disposed thee to regard as an evil has, in the end, contri- 
buted to thy happiness ] Let us, then, receive with humble resigna- 
tion those afflictions which it shall please the Almighty shall be 
dispensed unto us. They will only appear to be formidable in the 
beginning ; the more we shall be exercised by them the more sup- 
portable will they be, and the more shall we know their salutary 
effects. If in adversity we are full of faith, patience, and hope, we 
shall have cause in the end to bless God for his trial of our nature. 



DECEMBER X. 

ACCIDENTAL REVOLUTIONS OF OUR GLOBE. 

Nature of herself is continually producing changes upon the surface 
of the earth, which have a great influence upon the whole globe. 
Many ancient monuments prove that in different places the surface 
sinks down at one time gradually, at another suddenly. The wall 
that the Romans built in Scotland, in the second century, quite across 
the whole country, is now almost entirely buried under ground, and 
remains of it are frequently discovered. Mountains, those pillars of 
the earth, are exposed to similar changes, occasioned either by the 
nature of the soil, by water sapping their foundations,- or by subterra- 
nean fires. Though some parts of the earth sink down, others, on 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 459 

the contrary, are elevated. A fertile valley may, at the end of a 
century, be converted into a marsh, where clay, turf, and other sub- 
stances, may form strata from each other. Lakes and gulfs are 
converted into dry land. In stagnant waters, weeds, rushes, and 
different plants grow ; substances, both animal and vegetable, putrify 
in them, and gradually form a sort of mud or mould, till at length thb 
bottom becomes so much raised, that the place of water is occupied 
by solid earth. The sea also partakes of the commotions occasioned 
by earthquakes and explosions, and the most sensible effect we ob- 
serve from them is the formation of new islands. These are produced 
by the elevation of the bottom of the sea ; or are composed of pumice- 
stones, calcined rocks, and other matters projected from volcanoes. 
History informs us, that in consequence of earthquakes, whole cities 
have been swallowed up, and buried sixty feet deep, so that the earth 
which covered them afterwards became arable ground. 

Many of the alterations produced upon our globe have been occa- 
sioned by the motions of waters. Rain soaks into the mountains, and 
washes away a portion of their substance, which being carried into 
the sea and rivers, considerably raises their bottom. The course of 
water is often changed, and the coasts themselves are sometimes re- 
moved. At one time the sea retires, and leaves whole countries dry, 
which once were its bed ; and sometimes it encroaches upon the shore, 
and inundates whole provinces. Places which formerly bordered on 
the sea are now at a considerable distance from it. Anchors, and 
large iron rings, to moor vessels, and the wrecks of ships, found on 
mountains and marshes, at a great distance from the sea, incontesta- 
bly prove that many parts of the earth, now cultivated, were once 
covered by the ocean. It is a very probable conjecture that England 
was once united to France : the beds of earth and stone, which are 
the same on each side the strait, between Dover and Calais, as well 
as the shallowness of the sea between those two places, render it stil? 
more likely to have been the case. 

Climates also occasion great revolutions upon the globe. Between 
the tropics, heats and rains alternate ; in some places it. rains for seve- 
ral months successively, and at other times the heat is excessive. 
The countries situated near the poles are exposed to great changes 
by the rigour of the cold. In autumn the water penetrates by nume- 
rous crevices into the rocks and mountains, and in winter freezes, 
when the ice, by its dilating, causes great destruction. 

Hence we learn that all mundane things are subject to change and 
continual vicissitudes ; and we see that frequent accidental revolutions 
give place, to cause the animate as well as the inanimate world to 
assume a new appearance. One generation departs to give place to 
another. Among men, some rise into notice and respectability, whilst 
others sink into poverty and insignificance ; and, among the various 
creatures that inhabit the globe, there are evident differences in their 
states and faculties. God has allotted to all beings different periods of 
duration : some have only a short and momentary existence, others a 



460 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

long life, and others an endless duration ; all evincing, in the most 
striking manner, the wisdom, power, and goodness of the Creator. 



DECEMBER XL 

GRATITUDE FOR OUR CLOTHING. 

Providence manifests his care even in our clothing. How many 
animals furnish us a covering with their skin, hairs, furs, and wool ! 
The sheep alone supplies us with the most necessary part of our dress ; 
and to the labours of a worm we are indebted for our silken robes. 
How numerous are the plants which also contribute to our dress ! 
Flax and hemp also supply us with linen ; and with cotton various 
articles of apparel are manufactured. But these vast stores of nature 
would still have been deficient, if God had not endowed man with 
industry, and a mind inexhaustibly fertile in invention, as well as 
hands suitable to prepare the different kinds of clothing that are ne- 
cessary. If we only reflect upon the labour requisite to prepare a single 
piece of cloth, we shall find how many hands are necessary to procure 
even a few yards. We surely ought not to be vain of our garments, 
seeing that to obtain them we are obliged to have recourse to those 
animals that are the most contemptible in our estimation, and to that 
class of men that we the most despise. 

Why has the Creator obliged us to provide ourselves with clothes, 
whilst all other animals receive theirs immediately from nature ? In 
answer to this, I assert, that this necessity is very advantageous to us ; 
it is favourable to our health, and suitable to our mode of living. We 
may by this means regulate our dress according to the season of the 
year and the climate in which we live. Our clothes promote the in- 
sensible perspiration of our bodies, so essential to the preservation of 
our lives ; and the obligation that Ave are under of procuring them 
has exercised the human mind, and given rise to several arts ; and, 
finally, the labour which they require for their fabrication supports a 
great number of workmen. We have, therefore, every reason to be 
satisfied with this arrangement of Providence ; only let us be very care- 
ful not to lose sight of the end proposed in our being supplied with 
clothing. A Christian certainly should not seek to derive his glory 
from the external covering of his body, but in the virtuous dispositions 
of his soul. Pride assumes various forms ; it is elated by the most 
trifling advantages, and seeks for applause where none is merited. 
Pride is manifested by some people in the brilliancy of their silks and 
the splendour of their jewels, whilst others nourish it in rags. The 
man who studies propriety will avoid either extreme. To glory in 
outward ornament and external pomp is degrading to our nature ; we 
wear clothes to preserve us against the intemperance of the air, and 
not to gratify the pettiness of vanity, and the insignificance of pride. 

Let us also reflect a little on the state of many of our fellow-crea- 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 4G1 

tures, who have scarcely clothes to cover them. How many poor 
wretches do we see around us half-starved and half-naked, who in 
these severe winter days can find no shelter from the cold ! Let the 
contemplation of these unfortunate beings induce us to feel a lively 
sense of the divine goodness, which has enabled us to obtain the ne- 
cessary clothing. Let us, then, remember that many people are 
destitute of what we so abundantly enjoy, and that it is our duty to 
clothe the naked, to feed the hungry, and be grateful to God for the 
plenty with which he has blessed us. 



DECEMBER XII. 

COVERING OF ANIMALS. 

It is an incontestable proof of Divine Providence, that all animals 
are naturally provided with that covering which is best adapted to 
their place of abode and mode of living. Some are clothed with hair, 
some with feathers, several with scales, and others with shells. This 
variety is a certain proof that a very skilful workman has prepared 
the garments of these animals ; for they are not only generally adapted 
to the different species, but also appropriated to each particular indi 
vidual. For quadrupeds, hair was the most suitable covering ; and 
nature in giving it to them has so formed the texture of their skin, 
that they are hardy enough to lie down upon the ground in all kinds 
of weather, and be employed in the service of man. The thick fur 
of some animals, whilst it secures them against the effects of cold and 
moisture, serves them also to cover their little ones, and to lie down 
more softly. 

For birds, and some species of insects, feathers form the most con- 
venient covering : besides sheltering them from cold and wet, they are 
so arranged as to enable them to float more easily upon the air. 
Feathers cover the whole body of the bird, and by their delicate 
structure favour its flight ; they are light and hollow, and their quills 
contain a marrowy substance which strengthens them, while capil- 
lary filaments, interlaced into each other with much art, render them 
sufficiently thick to maintain the heat of the body, to preserve it from 
the inclemency of the weather, and to give the wings a sufficient 
degree of strength. 

The covering of reptiles is also perfectly adapted to their mode of 
life. Let us examine, for instance, an earth-worm. Its body is formed 
of a series of small rings, and each ring is provided with a certain 
number of muscles, by means of which it can extend or contract its 
body at pleasure. They have under their skin a glutinous juice which 
exudes, and whose effect is to lubricate the body, that it may with 
greater facility make its way in the earth. 

Aquatic animals are covered by a substance equally well adapted 
to the element in which they live. Fish could have no dress so con- 
39* 



462 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

venient for them as scales ; the shape, hardness, size, number, and 
position of which are admirably adapted to their mode of life. 

The beauty of these various kinds of covering is also very remark- , 
able, particularly in some species of birds and insects. The varied 
hues of the butterfly, and the splendid plumage of some birds, are 
truly admirable; in some we see all the richness of colouring, in others 
the most beautiful and delicate simplicity. The hummingbird, a 
native of America, may be justly regarded as one of the wonders of na- 
ture : not larger than a bee, its plumage is so beautiful, that its neck 
and wings reflect the brilliancy of the rainbow. Its neck exhibits the 
bright red of the ruby ; under the belly and wings the colour is that 
of gold ; the thighs are green as the emerald : the feet and bill black 
and polished as ebony. The males have a small tuft upon their heads 
uniting all the colours that adorn the rest of their body, and which 
the Mexican ladies wear as pendants in their ears. 

We find, then, that every animal has that kind of dress which is 
most suitable to it : nothing is defective, nothing is superfluous ; but 
every thing is so well arranged and perfected, even in the smallest 
productions of nature, that human industry and art can never imitate 
it. And does not this clearly demonstrate the existence of a Being 3 
who unites infinite wisdom and goodness to a desire of rendering each 
creature as happy as his nature and destination will permit ? 



DECEMBER XIII. 

THOUGHTS ON THE RAVAGES OF WINTER. 

I hear the wind and the tempest roar. The blood freezes in my 
veins. The gathering gloom, the fearful misgivings of my heart, 
concur to render the awful tumult of nature more terrible. How often 
does the wind sweep down cottages and palaces, and in a moment 
destroy the labour of years ! How often are ships, and the unfortu- 
nate men who hazard their lives in a brittle bark, plunged into the 
dread abyss ! And how often are the sturdy oaks torn up by the 
roots ! But thou, O Lord, art the creator and the ruler of the storm. 
The tempests and the winds are thy messengers, the heralds of thy 
power, and the ministers of thy will. They should lead us to fear 
and to adore thee. Didst thou not set limits to their destructive power, 
they continually, and in all places, would cause the same ravages ; 
yet, thanks to that wisdom which stills the winds, the lowly cottage 
is still preserved, though unsheltered from the rude blast of the storm. 

If the creation, and all mundane events, are the works and effects 
of infinite wisdom, how can the disorder, desolation, and destruction, 
occasioned by tempests, ever happen ? Can almighty intelligence 
produce any thing but order 1 or can supreme goodness design any 
other end than what is good ? Thus my thoughts wander, O man ; 
but what art thou that thus interrogatest thy Creator? Shall man 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 463 

say unto his God, Why hast thou thus created me 1 And because we 
cannot explain the mysteries of nature, shall we say that the works of 
Providence are defective 1 To judge of his works, and of the ends 
which he has proposed, would require an intelligence and wisdom 
equal to his own. It is, indeed, wonderful that we are capable of 
perceiving a part of the order which he has established, of embrac- 
ing a part of the wise and immense plan which he has executed, and 
that, considering the darkness of our understanding, things are not 
still more confused than they are. 

To make a whole of the materials which compose the visible world, 
where many superb phenomena are produced, so many beauties dis- 
played, and the treasures of reason, virtue, and felicity, abundantly 
enjoyed by myriads of living creatures, is a work so vast and wonder- 
ful, that it could alone be effected by a Being all-powerful, wise, and 
good. The farther our researches penetrate into the works of nature, 
the more the goodness and wisdom, which has created all, and 
governs all, is manifested. 

After these considerations, we shall form a different opinion respect- 
ing the ravages of winter. The tempests, the frost, and the snow, 
and all the phenomena peculiar to this season, which can be con- 
sidered as disagreeable, are linked together in the eternal order of 
things ; each having its season and appointed time, and all contribut- 
ing to the general harmony of the universe. The wind that affrights 
the mariner upon the ocean drives water upon dry lands. The sul- 
phurous vapours, salt, and other matters, carried by the wind from 
one country to another, revive the earth, and restore fertility to the 
fields, which have been exhausted by their frequent crops. Thus 
winter, apparently so destructive, enables our meadows again to yield 
us rich fruit. The fields, the gardens, and the seeds, now repose 
beneath ice and snow. All nature appears dead. But God, during 
this apparent suspension of vitality, preserves the world, and watches 
our suffering nature. He feeds and supports the poor, and even ne- 
glects not the starved shivering birds, for whom he provides places 
of retreat. 

1 Lord, thou art great ! In the most tempestuous seasons thou art 
merciful and compassionate. From amid the ice and the snow thou 
preparest food for us ; and thou enablest us to bear the severity of the 
cold. Thou clothest the naked ; thou strengthenest the weak ; they 
live and are prosperous. Teach us to know thee, and to acknowledge 
thee as our friend and benefactor. Cause thy goodness to kindle a 
holy rapture in our hearts ; to breathe in us such love that we can feel 
kindness for our enemy, clothe him when naked, feed him when 
hungry, and wipe away his tears when in distress ! When, for thy 
sake, the poor man shares his morsel with him who is destitute, con- 
descend to reward his labour of love. While time shall endure, winter 
and summer, seedtime and harvest, shall succeed each other, and thy 
blessings shall cover thy creation.' 



464 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

DECEMBER XIV. 

SAGACITF OF ANIMALS IN PROCURING SUSTENANCE FOR THE WINTER. 

There are some animals which, during" the harvest time, lay up 
stores for the winter, containing provisions for six months : thus 
appearing to foresee that a season would come, in which they could 
not obtain their accustomed food, and that, provident of the future, 
they know how to calculate the quantity of provisions that will suffice 
for both them and their families. Among insects, bees are almost the 
only species that lay up provisions for the winter. They use their 
wax with great economy, because they cannot gather any more when 
the season of flowers is passed, and when they have no other mean9 
of subsisting, and constructing their cells, than the stores they have 
previously secured. They have also the sagacity to collect another 
sort of matter, which is necessary to secure their hives from the 
effects of cold ; and this is a sort of glue that they obtain from flowers 
and bitter plants, and with which they closely stop up every crevice 
in their hives. They waste nothing, observing the strictest economy, 
and what they do not at present want, they reserve for future occa- 
sions. We are even informed by those who have carefully observed 
their habits, that when in winter they uncover the cells that contain 
the honey, they lay by the wax which closed them for future use. 

Among quadrupeds, the hamster and the fieldmouse lay up provi- 
sions for winter, and, during the time of harvest, convey a quantity 
of grain into their subterranean dwellings. Among birds, magpies 
and jays collect acorns during the autumn, and preserve them for the 
winter in hollow trees. 

These provident cares of animals cannot be the result of reflection, 
for that supposes much more intelligence than they are capable of. 
They only think of the present, and of what affects their senses either 
agreeably or disagreeably ; and if it happens that the present has any 
reference to the future, it is without design on their part, and without 
their having any knowledge of what they do. Indeed, it is difficult 
to imagine how foresight and reflection should enter into the instinct 
of these animals, since they have no idea of the vicissitude of the 
seasons and the nature of winter ; and having no conception of the 
measure of time, they neither know when winter will arrive, nor how 
long it will continue. It would be equally absurd to attribute to them 
reason, ideas of the future, or any reflection upon the means of exist- 
ence during the severity of the season, since they always act without 
any variation, and each species constantly follows the same method 
as its predecessors, without any instruction. When the bees, then, 
do not cease to collect wax and honey till they have filled their maga- 
zines, or until the season no longer permits them to work, it is not 
because they foresee that a time will come when they can collect nc 
more : such a degree of foresight ought not to be attributed to them. 
They are instigated by nature to collect wax and honey, to work 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 465 

daring the fine season, and by the time winter arrives they have 
generally filled their magazines. These, as well as all other animals, 
act without reflection or design, almost mechanically, although they 
seem to follow the wisest rules that could have been detected. Being, 
therefore, destitute of reason, that wise economy, and those apparent 
acts of foresight and reflection, which we observe in them, must be 
produced by a superior intelligence, which has thought and taken 
care for them, and whose views they fulfil without knowing it. And 
herein consists a part of the prerogatives which men enjoy over brutes. 
We can recall the past, and imagine the future, act from reflection, 
and form plans, determine from motives, and choose what is suitable. 
How important it is, then, that we should make a right use of these 
prerogatives ! Informed as we are of the great revolutions that await 
us, and being able to anticipate the winter of our lives, how incum- 
bent it is upon us to prepare a rich stock of knowledge and virtue, 
which, as we decline in the vale of years, shall smooth our path into 
eternity, and gild our last moments with the rays of joy and of peace! 



DECEMBER XV. 

ADVANTAGES OF WINTER. 

It is advantageous frequently to reflect upon the blessings which 
God grants to us in this rigorous season. In consequence of the cold 
and frost, many noxious vapours are retained in the superior regions 
of the atmosphere, by which means the air is rendered more pure. 
Far from being prejudicial to the health of man, they often improve 
it, and counteract that debility which a continued heat would produce. 
If all the vapours and exhalations which are collected in the atmo- 
sphere were to descend in the form of rain, the earth would become 
too soft and wet, the roads would be impassable, and our bodies would 
be subjected to various diseases. In hot countries, and in those where 
there is much wet during the winter, dangerous and severe diseases 
are much more frequent than in other places. Travellers inform us 
that in Greenland, where mountains of ice are very common, and 
where in winter the days are scarcely four or five hours long, the air 
is very salubrious, pure, and light ; and that, except some complaints 
in the chest and eyes, occasioned partly by the nature of their food, 
the diseases most common in Europe are rarely met with. And it is 
also certain, that the constitution of the human body varies according 
to the climate in which it is placed; so that the inhabitants of the 
northern countries enjoy a constitution adapted to the excessive cold 
that prevails there, and they are generally very robust and hardy. 
Even as man, though he loves to be in action, and that labour is 
necessary to him, is yet glad to have his toil interrupted by the recur- 
rence of each evening, to taste the sweets of sleep, and to pass into a 
state altogether opposite to that in which he was when awake ; so also 
37 3 1 



466 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

does our nature accommodate itself to the vicissitudes of the seasons, 
and we are are pleased with them, because they contribute to our 
happiness and well-being-. 

At present our fields and gardens are covered with snow, which is 
necessary to preserve them from being injured by the cold, to secure 
the seeds from the impetuosity of the winds, and to prevent their being 
destroyed. The fields, after having during the fine weather produced 
all the fruits upon which we live in the winter, require some repose. 
And in this we have great cause to acknowledge the wisdom and 
goodness of God ; for if he had not provided for our support, and if to 
obtain our nourishment we were obliged to cultivate the earth in this 
rigorous season, our complaints might have some foundation ; but he 
has began by filling our magazines, which are sufficient to supply all 
our wants, and permit us to enjoy a degree of repose suitable to the 
seasons. 

How tender are the cares of Providence for us during the winter ! 
He has given to men that industry of which they have so much need 
to fortify themselves against the attacks of cold and frost. Their in- 
ventive mind has made them find the means for procuring for them- 
selves an artificial heat, by means of which they can enjoy in their 
own apartments a degree of warmth equal to that of summer. The 
cares of Providence are not less evident in the annual production of 
wood, and its astonishing multiplication, than in the fertility of our 
fields. Besides, we have many animals at our command, which are 
very useful in enabling us to support the severity of the season. The 
colder the country, the more useful are those animals whose furs are 
designed to keep us warm. And is it not evident that Divine wisdom 
has foreseen the wants incident to different climates, when he has 
placed in them animals that could live no where else ? 

Winter does not materially interrupt trade or commerce. For 
though the rivers may have lost their fluidity, their surface, solid as a 
rock, is converted into a high-road, where carriages may pass in safety. 
Though we are obliged to suspend the labours of the field, there are 
various other ways in which we may be usefully employed ; and we 
are never condemned to a state of idleness and inaction. The repose 
of nature invites us to look for resources in our own minds ; and though 
our imagination cannot now be warmed with the beauties of nature 
in their spring and summer robes, our mind no longer attracted by ex- 
ternal charms, will be at leisure to look back, and dwell upon the 
images it has formerly perceived and made its own ; or it may from 
tfre present change in nature be led to reflect upon the instability of all 
earthly things, and prepare to enter into that eternity to which it is 
hastening, and devote itself with full sincerity to the service of that 
Supreme Being who never changes, but is ever the same, merciful, 
just, and omnipotent. 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 467 

DECEMBER XVI. 

THE ELEMENTS. 

Whether we consider the universe collectively, or examine its dif- 
ferent parts in particular, we shall always find sufficient cause to 
admire the wisdom and goodness of the Creator. It is true that we 
have a very imperfect knowledge of things, and that in most instances 
we can scarcely advance beyond conjecture and probability ; but this 
is enough to make us acknowledge, on the one hand, the grandeur of 
God, and on the other, the weakness of our reason. Perhaps all the 
elements are of the same nature, and may be reduced to a single 
essence, so combined as to form but one whole. As it would be very 
difficult for us to consider the elements as a whole, it is necessary to 
divide them, and separately consider the primitive constituent parts of 
bodies. 

How various and admirable are the properties of the air w T hich we 
every moment respire ! How great is the force with which it divides 
and dissolves all kinds of substances, at the same time imbibing their 
different qualities ! Innumerable vapours and exhalations, thousands 
of various odours, volatile salts, alkalies and acids, oils and inflam- 
mable spirits, that all mix and unite with it, sometimes rendering it 
noxious, though generally salubrious and beneficial . These foreign 
particles contained in the air, its elasticity, the property that it has of 
becoming rarified or condensed, and of regaining its natural state, 
produce those agitations in the atmosphere, those meteors that disperse 
the noxious vapours, purify the air, and favour the vegetation of plants. 
And though the effects of the air are sometimes severe, they are, 
nevertheless, necessary to prevent the earth being converted into a 
desert. There are in this element, as in all the works of God, im- 
penetrable mysteries. Who, for instance, can explain how the particles 
of air, being so subtile as entirely to escape our sight, are yet the 
means by which objects become visible to us 1 How wonderful is the 
equilibrium that obtains between the external air and that which is 
within our bodies \ A balance upon which our health and even life 
depends ! And how admirable is it, that the same element should be 
the medium by which sound, odours, and light are transmitted I 

Water has some conformity with air, and its properties and effects 
are not less various and admirable. All the abundance and salu- 
brity of the air, all the riches of the earth, and the heat of the fire, 
v.ould not prevent our perishing if we wanted water. Of how many 
changes and combinations is it not susceptible ! Who has given it the 
property of dilating, dividing, and rarefying to such a degree as to en- 
able it to ascend in the atmosphere to the height of a league, float 
there, and form itself into fogs and clouds ? Who has given it the 
^ower of penetrating into plants, of again passing out by their insen- 
sible pores, and of diffusing itself over our fields and valleys in the 
form of dew 1 How astonishing is the property it has of sometimes 



468 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

becoming lighter than air, though a given quantity of water is nine 
hundred times heavier than a similar quantity of air ; of attaching 
itself to all kinds of bodies, of dissolving the most compact substances, 
and of even uniting with fire ! 

Of all the elements, we know the least of the nature of fire. It is 
too subtile for our eyes ; though its virtues, properties, and effects, are 
sufficiently obvious. Whether the essence of fire consists only in 
motion, or in the fermentation of inflammable particles, or, what 
several experiments would seem to authorize us to suspect, that it is a 
simple matter, differing in its nature from all other corporeal things ; 
it is certain that its prodigious abundance, its utility and wonderful 
effects, deserve all our attention. There is no body so cold that does 
not possess particles capable of ignition. The presence of fire is uni- 
versal ; it exists in the air which we respire, in the water that we drink, 
and in the earth upon which we live. It enters into the composition 
of all bodies ; it passes through the minutest pores, unites itself closely 
to them, and moves with them from one place to another ; and how- 
ever covered and refined, it does not fail to discover itself. How for- 
cibly it dilates the air which surrounds it, whilst the air itself renders 
the fire more active ! It gives fluidity to the water, fertility to the earth, 
and health and life to man and animals. 

Earth, when pure, is distinguished from all other bodies by its 
having neither taste nor smell, by being insoluble in water and spirits 
of wine, and by its friability. It at first appears to be very different 
from all the other elements, and yet has so much conformity with them, 
that some naturalists believe that water is nothing more than earth 
in a state of solution, and that earth is water in a condensed state. 
According to these, the water upon our globe is continually diminish- 
ing, and gradually forming compact substances, and that our planet 
formerly was only a fluid mass, and at a still more remote period only 
water. 

All these different elements are essential to our existence and pre- 
servation ; and whenever we reflect upon their wonderful properties, 
and the numerous and diversified effects which they produce, our ad- 
miration must be called forth. With how many properties, all differ- 
ing from each other, has God endued his works ! How many agents, 
in the heavens and upon the earth, are continually in motion for the 
preservation of the universe, and each individual in particular ! What 
wonderful revolutions and phenomena are effected by the elements 
alone ! It would be more easy to number all the works of God, than 
to calculate the multiplied forces which are in action ! How great, 
then, is the power of that Being, in whose hand are all the elements, 
and all the different agents in nature ; who directs them all to the 
greatest and most noble ends ; unto whom be rendered honour, glory, 
and praise, for ever and ever ! 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 469 

DECEMBER XVII. 

INFLUENCE OF THE SUN UPON THE EARTH. 

The sun is a very powerful agent in the system of this universe. 
He is the constant source of the light that is so abundantly diffused 
over our globe. This light of the sun is the most subtile me : it pene- 
trates all bodies, and, when it is in sufficient quantity, puts all their 
parts in motion, attenuates and decomposes them, dissolves those that 
are compact, rarefies those which are fluid, and adapts them to an 
infinity of motions. Is it not evident, then, that from these diversified 
effects of the sun upon bodies must depend most of the phenomena 
and revolutions of the globe ] When the force of the sun's light in- 
creases, that is, when the rays fall less obliquely, and in greater quan- 
tity upon a given place, and when they continue each day to act 
longer, which is the case in summer, it must necessarily effect great 
changes, both in the atmosphere and upon the surface of the earth. 
And when the rays fall more obliquely, and consequently more feebly, 
and the days are shorter, and their action is less prolonged, as is the 
case in winter, how different are the changes observable in the atmo- 
sphere ! How gradually we perceive the alterations, when, from the 
remote sign of Capricorn, the sun advances nearer to the equinoctial 
line, till by the time of spring, the days are equal to the nights ! And 
what new phenomena are seen, when this luminous body returns in 
summer from the tropic of Cancer toward the line, till the days and 
nights again become equal in autumn, and the sun removes from our 
zenith ! 

It is chiefly on the distance of the sun from the earth that all the 
diversity observed in the vegetation of plants, and in the internal 
constitution of bodies in all climates and seasons, depends. Hence 
each climate and season has plants and animals that are peculiar to 
it, and the progress of vegetation is more or less rapid, and the pro- 
ductions of nature continue a longer or shorter space of time. 

It is impossible, however, to describe or even point out all the vari- 
ous effects of the sun upon the earth. All the changes and revolutions 
of the globe are principally owing to the action of this luminary, 
because upon it chiefly depend the different degrees of heat and cold. 
And it requires but a slight share of attention to be convinced of the 
numerous and sensible effects of which the sun is the prime cause. 
At one time he rarefies, at another condenses, the air ; one while 
raises vapours and fogs, at another precipitates them down in the 
form of rain, or different meteors. He causes the sap to rise in vege- 
tables and trees, which makes the leaves and blossoms shoot, and 
ripens the fruit. He animates all nature, and is the source of that 
vivifying heat which gives to organized bodies their power of develop- 
ing, of growth, and of perfecting themselves ; there is no place where 
his influence is not felt ; it penetrates the rocks and the mountains, and 
extends to the depth of the sea. This alone is sufficient to convince 
40 



470 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

us of the power of our Creator ; and if we consider with what art and 
wisdom God has drawn a multitude of great effects from one and the 
same instrument, and made use of the sun's heat to produce so many- 
phenomena of nature, we should more and more clearly perceive the 
omniscience, nothing short of which could have effected so many 
wonders. 



DECEMBER XVIII. 

WINTER RAINS. 

What a difference there is between the effects of the rains which 
now fall, accompanied with cold and dreariness, and those of the 
refreshing rains of summer ! This change gives a sorrowful aspect 
to nature. The sun is veiled, and the whole heaven appears to be 
one vast cloud. We cannot see far ; a gloomy obscurity hangs over 
us, and we are threatened by the gathering tempest. At length the 
heavy clouds break, and the earth is inundated ; the air seems an 
inexhaustible reservoir of water ; the rivers and brooks swell, and, 
overflowing their banks, sweep over the distant fields and meadows. 

However disagreeable and unpleasant such weather may appear to 
us, we must still acknowledge that it is ultimately for our good. The 
earth, almost exhausted by its fruitfulness, requires a renovation of its 
strength ; to accomplish which, it is not only necessary that it should 
repose, but also that it should be moistened. Rain waters and re- 
freshes the dry land, soaks into it, and penetrates the lowest roots of 
plants. The dry leaves that cover the earth rot, and form an excel- 
lent manure. The abundant rains of winter fill the rivers, and supply 
the springs and fountains with water. Nature is never idle, but is 
continually working, though her activity is not always apparent. The 
clouds, by continually pouring down snow or rain, prepare the fertility 
of the ensuing year, and the riches of summer ; and when the heat of 
the sun brings back the dry season, the abundant springs which the 
winter rains had formed diffuse their waters, irrigate the meadows 
and the valleys, and adorn them with new verdure. 

Thus the wise Creator provides for the future, and that which 
appeared to us destructive and inconvenient, becomes the source of 
all the beauties and riches which in spring and summer are lavished 
in such profusion. The gifts that we thus receive are more innumera- 
ble than the drops of rain that fall from the clouds ; and at the very 
time when man, ignorant and blind, is murmuring and complaining, 
he ought to be singing songs of joy, for eternal immutable wisdom is 
then continuing to fulfil its beneficent designs. Our preservation, then, 
is the principal end that God purposes in sending rain upon the earth ; 
and the divine wisdom knows how to combine various designs together, 
and from the happy combination results the order and harmony of the 
universe 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 471 

As the earth is benefited by the visitation of the tempest, and 
prepared for fertility by the repose and gloom of winter, so is man 
improved by adversity. To bring forth good works, it is not meet that 
the sun of prosperity should always bless us with his rays. From the 
nature of our constitution, and the design of our being, we must suffer 
trials, and occasionally experience disappointment and affliction. Let 
us, then, receive adversity from the hand of God with resignation, 
under the firm conviction that all his dispensations are ordered by 
unerring wisdom and infinite goodness. 



DECEMBER XIX. 

SUPPOSED INFLUENCE OF THE PLANETS AND FIXED STARS. 

The prodigious distance of the heavenly bodies, and the little con- 
nexion that our globe has with them, scarcely renders it probable that 
they should have much influence upon it; yet many superstitious 
people believe in such an influence, and affirm, that there are con- 
tinual emanations passing from the stars and planets that act upon 
our atmosphere and terrestrial bodies. But what are these emanations? 
If by them is meant the proper light of the stars, or the light of the 
sun reflected from the planets, that will be found to be very little, 
much less than what proceeds from the moon alone. And as the light 
that we receive from the moon has no sensible influence upon the 
earth, or upon the atmosphere, surely that which we receive from the 
planets and fixed stars, at a distance so much greater, cannot affect 
our globe. And the supposition that other matters emanating from 
these stars affect us is equally void of foundation ; for if these emanations 
were really to take place, upon being collected in the focus of a burn- 
ing-glass, they would produce some evident change in terrestrial 
bodies; but this is contradicted by experience. It seems, then, that 
nothing is emitted from the heavenly bodies but the light which they 
send us; or if any other emanations do proceed from them, they must 
be of such a nature as to pass through terrestrial bodies without effect- 
ing in them any sensible change, or the least derangement in their 
particles. Thus those astrologers, who either deceive themselves or 
wish to impose upon others, deserve the utmost contempt, when they 
tell us of the benign influence of Jupiter, the malignancy of Saturn, 
the wit-inspiring Mercury, the war-rousing Mars, and the amorous 
influence of Venus. 

Planets not only cannot singly produce the peculiar effects that 
astrologers attribute to them, but even taken collectively cannot have 
any influence. What shall we say of the rain-bringing Pleiades, 
the stormy Orion, the melancholy Hyades, the setting of Arcturus, 
and the rising of Capricorn, portending hail and tempests 1 What in- 
fluence can the constellation Taurus have upon peas and beans, and 
that of the stav Sirius upon mad dogs 1 Or what relation can Scorpio 



472 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

have with the harvests and produce of the fields 1 If the rising and 
setting of the different constellations were observed only as they denote 
the proper period for the different labours of agriculture, and not as 
the causes of natural things, it would be excusable. In the first ages 
of the world, the beginning, middle, and end of each season was not 
marked by the names of months, but by the rising and setting of the 
stars in conjunction with the sun, or by their immersion in and emer- 
sion from his rays. Hence the vulgar opinion, that the different 
aspects of these stars produced effects that in reality should be attri- 
buted to the seasons, and of course to the sun. Orion rises in autumn, 
and sets in winter : hence he is said to occasion tempests. When the 
dog-star rises with the sun it is extremely hot in our zone ; but this 
constellation is not the cause of the heat, which is occasioned by the 
sun being then at its greatest elevation ; and in the opposite zone, 
when the dog-star rises with the sun, it is altogether as cold : so that 
the inhabitants of the southern countries, far from considering the 
dog-star as the cause of heat, regard it as the cause of cold. The 
same may be said of the Pleiades, which are supposed to bring rain, 
and of all the constellations to which effects are attributed that really 
belong to the seasons in which these stars rise or set. 

If, then, the planets and fixed stars have no part in the tempera- 
ture and natural dispositions of our globe, they must still have less 
influence upon human actions. The happiness and the misery of 
individuals, and of whole nations, partly depend upon their natural 
talents and passions, and in part upon the political constitution of 
states, and upon the combination of certain natural and moral causes : 
consequently, the stars can have no influence whatever upon these, 
and if they had, we should have some reason to doubt the empire of 
Providence, and to disbelieve in the agency of a Being infinitely wise, 
good, powerful, and just. Leaving, then, to the superstitious a science 
so inimical to our repose, and so humiliating to the human mind; a 
jargonistic cant, disgracing the name of science, called by its advocates 
judicial astrology, and which in fact is nothing more than a miserable 
abuse of astronomy in the hands of knaves and of impostors, or of 
weak and foolish people ; let us look up to our wise and merciful 
Parent as the only true foundation on which to rest the certainty of 
our present peace and eternal happiness. 



DECEMBER XX. 

THE POLAR STAR. 

The most remarkable among the northern constellations is that 
which is nearest to the north pole, and termed the little bear. The 
last star of its tail is but two degrees from the pole ; hence it is called 
the polar star. It is easily distinguished from the neighbouring stars, 
because it scarcely appears to change its position, and is always in the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 473 

same part of the heavens ; for though it revolves round the pole, its 
motion is so slow, and the circle that it describes so small, as to be 
scarcely perceptible. By this apparent fixity of situation, it becomes 
a guide to travellers, and particularly to manners who are sailing on 
the ope*r> >:eas. Before the discovery of the compass, sailors had no 
surer guide than the polar star; and even now, when the sky is serene, 
they repose in many cases with greater certainty upon the direction 
of this star than upon the magnetic needle. 

The advantages which we derive from the polar star naturally lead 
us to the consideration of that moral guide and inestimable gift that 
God has bestowed upon us, his blessed word, and particularly the 
Gospel, which points out to us with unerring certainty the path that 
we ought to follow, and the true course in which to steer upon life's 
stormy ocean, through the gloom that darkens our way. Without 
such a faithful guide we should wander in uncertainty, and never find 
the path that leads to God and celestial glory. In the divine relation 
alone do we find a certain and invariable rule, by which we may pur- 
sue, with courage and assiduity, the race that is set before us, and 
accomplish it with joy and felicity. 

Let us attend to this, as the pilot attends to the polar star, and, by 
continually keeping it in sight, prevent the possibility of erring. With 
this heavenly guide we shall shun all dangers, be preserved from 
shipwreck, and after our long and arduous voyage, at length happily 
arrive in that blessed haven where we shall rest from all our labours, 
and enjoy a happiness which nothing can molest or disturb. 

The preceding reflection on the polar star is also calculated to make 
us admire the goodness of God, who, by the position and the course of 
the stars, has given us the means of knowing the times, places, and 
different points of the heavens. An astronomer, though in an un- 
known country, can, by means of the stars, know where he is ; and 
can inform himself of the month, the day, and the hour, with the 
same certainty as if he had consulted the most correct timepiece. If, 
for instance, we observe that the stars every day are seen four minutes 
sooner at the place where they were on the preceding evening, we 
know that in a month it will amount to two hours. Thus the star 
that we see this evening, the 20th of December, at ten o'clock, in a 
certain part of the heavens, will be seen on the 20th of January 
exactly in the same place at eight o'clock. 



DECEMBER XXL 

EFFECTS OF AIR WHEN CONFINED IN BODIES. 

The effects of air, enclosed in bodies, are very remarkable. The 

consequence of fluids freezing is well known. Water, in the act of 

congelation, often bursts the vessels which contain it. The barrel of 

a gun, filled with water, its entrance being hermetically sealed, when 

40* SK 



474 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

the cold is severe, bursts with great violence. At first this appears to 
be incomprehensible; we know that water is not of itself fluid, but 
becomes so by the caloric which every where pervades it, and conse- 
quently, when deprived of the matter of heat which it contains, 
becomes a solid mass. It should seem, then, that in their state of 
congelation, the particles of water must be condensed, and approach 
nearer to each other, and thus occupy less space than before they 
were frozen. On the contrary, at the time of freezing they dilate, 
and their volume increases, otherwise it would be impossible for the 
vessels to burst. Besides, how could ice swim, if it did not form a 
greater volume, and become lighter than when in a state of water? 

What, then, is the cause of this singular effect? Internal air; for 
it is impossible to suppose any external cause. To be convinced that 
it is owing to the air contained in the water, we have only to observe 
that fluid when it first begins to freeze. Scarcely is the first pellicle 
of ice formed when the water becomes agitated, and a number of air 
bubbles ascend. This upper coat of ice often rises in the middle and 
splits; the water springs up through the cleft, dashes against the sides 
of the vessel, and in running down again is frozen ; thus giving the 
appearance of elevation and convexity to the middle of the surface. 
These effects are produced by the air contained in the water, and 
would not take place, or at least would appear in a much less degree, 
if, before the water began to freeze, it was exhausted as much as pos- 
sible of the air which it contained. 

On this principle we may explain many singular phenomena. A 
severe cold is very injurious to vegetables. We know that in all 
plants the sap circulates ; which, though it becomes rather more 
viscous in winter and in autumn, nevertheless continues fluid. An 
intense degree of cold converts it into ice, and then evidently increases 
its volume, which cannot take place without causing several fibres 
and stalks of plants to burst. When this is the case, it is clear that 
when the sap becomes rarefied in spring, it cannot circulate as it ought 
to do, no more than the circulation of the blood can be carried on in 
an animal whose veins are cut. Thus the growth of the plant is 
prevented, and it dies, because the nourishing juice can no longer 
flow through its vessels. 

From all this we may be convinced of the power of the air, and oi 
that expansibility from which we derive so many advantages. The 
property that this element has of condensation and of rarefaction, to an 
almost incredible extent, is the cause of the greatest revolutions that 
nappen upon the earth. It is only in a very few instances that the 
power of this fluid can become injurious, and then the evils which 
result are amply compensated by the advantages. We must, however, 
confess that in this, as in every other phenomenon of nature, there are 
many things which we are unable to explain: great part of our know- 
ledge of the nature, properties, and effects of air is conjectural, and 
perhaps it is reserved for succeeding generations to prove how false 
and erroneous our opinions upon this and many other subjects have 
been^. Whenever, therefore, we contemplate the works of God in 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 475 

nature, let us examine them with caution, and investigate them with 
a mind humble, conscious of its own inefficacy, and ever mindful of the 
limited extent of our understanding, and the uncertainty of human 
judgment or opinions. 



DECEMBER XXII. 



MUSIC. 



To music we are indebted for one of the purest and most refined 
pleasures that the bounty of heaven has permitted to cheer the heart 
of man. As it softly steals upon our ear, it lulls to rest all the pas- 
sions that invade our bosom, arrests our roving fancy, or in louder 
strains excites the soul to rage. Often, when wrapped in melancholy, 
the sweet voice of music charms away our cares, and restores our 
drooping spirits, or awakens in us the sentiments of honour and of glory. 
And surely that which can assuage our griefs, pour balm into our 
perturbed breasts, and make us forget our sorrows, is deserving of con- 
sideration, and should be made use of to glorify our beneficent Creator. 

Whence proceeds the impression that music makes upon the ear ? 
It is the'effect of certain undulations of the air, which strike diversely 
upon the auditory nerve. When a light cord is pulled, its figure 
changes ; for from its elasticity it not onty regains its first situation, 
but advances beyond it, and continues vibrating backwards and 
forwards until it recovers its original position and state of rest. These 
vibrations of the cord are communicated to the air, which conve) r s 
them to other contiguous bodies. Thus, when an organ is played 
upon, if a lute be near, its strings will be put in motion, and make a 
sound. But whence proceed the variation of sounds, and how is it 
that some are sharp, others flat ] This is not owing to the quantity 
of air that is put in motion ; for a sound may be flat or sharp, and at 
the same time strong or feeble. The differences of flats and sharps 
depend upon the greater or less rapidity of the vibrations of the air. 
A sonorous body emits a sharp tone when the vibrations are very 
quick, and a flat when they are more slow. Whence is it that cer- 
tain sounds are harmonious, and charm the ear, whilst others offend 
by their discord 1 All that we can reply to this is, that the natural 
character of consonances consists in being in the same key ; whereas 
in dissonance, the notes, though struck at the same time, do not 
accord, but produce a grating on the ear that is extremely unpleasant. 
Let us, then, be grateful to the God of all love and mercy for the 
raptures that we enjoy from the impressions of sound pouring music 
through our souls ; and raise one general sang of joy, to celebrate his 
praises, that shall ascend into heaven, where the blessed angels of 
light will join in the full chorus of pure and heavenly harmony. 



476 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

DECEMBER XXIII. 

MEN COMPARED WITH OTHER ANIMALS. 

Ill the comparison which we are about to draw between men and 
other animals, some things will be found which are common to both ; 
others in which brutes will have the advantage over us ; and others 
again where man will possess a decided superiority over them. 

The principal resemblance between men and brutes is, that they 
are both material. Like them, we have life and organized bodies, 
which are produced by generation and birth, and supported by food. 
Both have strength and animal spirits to enable them to fulfil the 
different functions that are assigned them ; both have voluntary mo- 
tions, the free exercise of their limbs, senses, sensations, imagination, 
and memory. By means of the senses, both experience the sensations 
of pleasure and of pain, which cause them to desire certain things 
and reject others ; both have a natural propensity for self-preservation, 
and the propagation of their species ; and both are subject to those 
general corporeal accidents that the catenation and different relations 
of things, the laws of motion, the structure and organization of their 
bodies, must occasion. 

With i;egard to the pleasure that results from sensual gratifications, 
brutes have several advantages over men. A very principal one is, 
that they 'do not require the clothing, instruments of defence, and 
conveniencies, which men do, and which they are obliged to invent 
themselves, or to learn and to exercise the arts that are necessary to 
procure them. Animals bring with them into the world all that they 
require ; or if any thing be still wanting, to obtain it they have only 
to follow the instinct which they have received from nature, and 
which never deceives them : it always conducts them in safety ; and 
as soon as their appetites are satisfied they are perfectly content, and 
desire nothing farther ; and they enjoy the present without being con- 
cerned for the future. 

In these respects, brutes are superior to men. Man is obliged to 
meditate, invent, labour, exercise himself, and receive instructions, 
without which he would remain as in a state of childhood, and would 
with difficulty obtain the necessaries of life. His passions, so far from 
guiding him, tend to lead him astray. It is reason alone that consti- 
tutes the great and essential difference between him and brutes, 
indicates to him the means of satisfying his wants, and gives him 
prerogatives to which the brute creation can never attain. Gifted 
with the faculty of reason, man is enabled to procure every necessary, 
every convenience, and every luxury ; to multiply all his pleasures, 
to ennoble and render them subservient to the best purposes. His 
soul enjoys delights that are unknown to brute animals ; pleasures 
whose sources are knowledge, wisdom, religion, order, and virtue, 
and which infinitely surpass all merely sensual gratifications, inas- 
much as they tend to improve and promote the perfection of human 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 477 

nature, causing it more and more to resemble the aivine essence of 
God ; and they endure for ever; whilst, on the contrary, the more a 
man indulges in sensual gratifications, the more does he become un- 
fitted for any thing great and dignified, and approaches nearer to the 
nature of brutes. 

We may also add, that the sphere in which animals are obliged to 
move is very narrow and confined ; their desires and propensities are 
few, and their pleasures little diversified ; while those of man are infi- 
nitely varied ; he is interested in all objects, and there is nothing 
which he cannot convert to his utility. He is the only being upon 
the earth that is progressively advancing towards perfection, con- 
tinually making new discoveries, and enlarging his stores of know- 
ledge ; all other animals remaining constantly confined within a 
limited circle, neither capable of invention, nor able to attain to greater 
perfection ; always continuing at the same point, unable by applica- 
tion and exertion to rise above other animals of the same species. 

Reason, then, and its consequences, alone give us that, decided 
superiority which we enjoy over the brute creation ; and in it consists 
the chief excellence of our nature. To make use of reason, to enno- 
ble the pleasures of the senses, to increasingly enjoy intellectual 
delights, to progressively advance in wisdom and in virtue, is the dis- 
tinguishing characteristic of man ; the great end for which he was 
created, and the chief object to which he should direct his attention. 



DECEMBER XXIV. 

CALCULATION CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION. 

How numerous will be the crowd of human beings assembled 
together in the great day of the resurrection ! Supposing that Germany 
did not begin to be peopled till five hundred years after the general 
deluge, that is, about four thousand five hundred years ago ; and that 
from the foundation of the city of Hamburgh at the above time, to 
the day of judgment, supposing that it was to happen at the present 
epoch, there have only been two hundred persons buried annually, 
reckoning one year with another; the number of deaths would amount 
to nine hundred thousand. If, then, a single city should produce so 
many human beings at the day of judgment, how many must the 
whole empire of Germany supply in the same space of timel Sup- 
posing that it contains twenty-four millions of inhabitants, the city of 
Hamburgh could not be estimated at more than the three-thousandth 
part of the whole. 

If that is the case, we may suppose, on the preceding calculation, 
that Germany alone would produce two thousand one hundred 
millions. The number is doubtless very great ; and yet what is it 
compared with the produce of the whole earth, the present number of 
whose inhabitants is estimated at about one thousand millions ? If we 



478 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

take this number, and make use of the same calculation as before, 
the sum total of deaths in the above-mentioned period of time will 
amount to eighty-seven thousand five hundred millions. And if now 
be added those that have lived before the deluge, and those who died 
during the next five hundred years, which may be reckoned at a fourth 
part of the preceding, we shall then have a total of one hundred and 
nine thousand three hundred and seventy-five millions. And lastly, 
let us add the number of people that will be alive at the day of judg- 
ment, which, estimating it at our former calculation of one thousand 
millions, will give a total of one hundred and ten thousand three hun- 
dred and seventy-five millions. 

How inconceivable, then, must that intelligence be, which can 
scrutinize the most secret thoughts of each individual of which such 
an infinite multitude is composed ! an intelligence that scans every 
hidden sentiment, word, and deed ; which exactly remembers the 
hour of their birth, the duration of their life, the manner and circum- 
stances of their death; and which knows how to distinguish the 
scattered atoms of each, and collect them together, whether their 
bodies had been reduced to ashes, dissolved into millions of particles, 
or undergone innumerable transformations. How omnipotent is the 
work of collecting these scattered particles, of purifying and ennobling 
them, and forming them into new, immortal, and incorruptible bodies ! 

We are informed by divine revelation that hosts of angels shall 
gather the chosen from the four winds ; that the sound of the trumpet 
shall awaken the bodies of the saints that sleep. How delightful to 
the ten thousand times ten thousand thousand angels will be the 
office of collecting their beloved brethren, and presenting them to 
Christ ! How transporting for the myriads of blessed spirits whom God 
had gathered in his bosom, again to receive the bodies which they 
had left, pale, emaciated, and disfigured by sufferings, torn and muti- 
lated by violence, or consumed by fire ; to receive them back, clothed 
with celestial beauty and splendour ; light and radiant as the forms of 
the holy angels ? 



DECEMBER XXV. 

THOUGHTS UPON THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST. 

What sentiments of joy and gratitude should the Christian feel on 
this day, when he celebrates the birth of Jesus ! How great is my 
wonder when I meditate upon the circumstances which attended that 
glorious event ! I represent to myself the Son of God in the lowest 
state of humiliation, clothed with a corporeal being, visible and weak 
as I am. How wonderful ! The Son of the King of kings, whom 
angels minister unto and adore, appears a feeble babe, naked, desti- 
tute, and shedding tears, lying in a manger ! How prodigious the 
change from this humiliating and limited state of being to be elevated, 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 479 

the Saviour of mankind, upon the throne of eternal glory ! When I 
reflect upon my own unworthiness, and the infinite majesty of Him 
who offered himself up a sacrifice to human malice, and suffered every 
indignity that the ingenuity of men could devise, to be my Mediator 
and Redeemer, I feel my admiration and astonishment too great for 
utterance ; and when I discover such a love as infinitely surpasses 
what the best of men can possibly merit, a love beyond all my powers 
of conception or hope, I am lost in astonishment, and can only silently 
admire and adore. 



DECEMBER XXVI. 

THE PLACE OF OUR SAVIOUR'S NATIVITY. 

To many individuals, at first sight, it may appear to be of little con- 
sequence to know the place of Christ's nativity; for we should regard 
him as our Redeemer, whatever may have been the circumstances 
which attended his mortal life. But as it pleased God to declare the 
place in which the Saviour of man should be born, it became neces- 
sary that it should happen precisely in the appointed place, that it 
might be one of the characteristics by which Jesus Christ should be 
known to be the true Messiah. 

It is also very immaterial to us where we may live, provided that 
we find true happiness. There is no place upon the earth, however 
poor and despicable, that may not have better and more happy inha- 
bitants than are found in the largest and most celebrated cities. Do 
we know a single spot upon the globe where the works of God do not 
present themselves under a thousand different forms, and where a 
person may not experience the sweet consolation arising from a well 
spent life ] For an individual, that place is to be preferred where he 
can receive and communicate the most good. For a number of 
people, that place is the best which contains the greatest proportion 
of wise and good men. Every nation declines in proportion as reli- 
gion and virtue lose their influence over the minds of the people. The 
place where in our youth w T e contemplated the opening of the morn, 
and the renewed beauty of nature, with all the raptures incident to 
that age, whilst we adored our God with all the veneration and love 
which we felt so warmly in our hearts ; the place sacred to our first 
effusions of pure and inviolable attachment to the object that we 
loved, or where two friends have pledged their mutual affection ; the 
place where we have received the first rudiments of knowledge, or 
acquired the great principles of religion, and become examples of 
goodness and purity ; ought to be very dear to us, and closely wound 
round the tendrils of our hearts. 

According to these principles, Bethlehem, notwithstanding its 
emallness, was a venerable place, since it was the abode of so many 
pious people, and that singular acts of piety and devotion had been 



480 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

practised there. It was there the patriarch Jacob stayed some time to 
erect a monument to his much-loved Rachel. It was at Bethlehem 
that Naomi and her amiable daughter-in-law, Ruth, gave striking 
proofs of their faith and their virtue ; and it was there that Boaz, the 
generous benefactor, had his abode and possessions. At Bethlehem 
sojourned the humble Jesse, the happy father of so many sons ; the 
youngest of whom ascended from the pastoral hook to the sceptre of 
Israel. It was there that David formed the resolution of building a 
house to the Lord, and showed himself the true shepherd and father 
of his people, when, at the sight of the exterminating angel, whose 
sword carried with it death and dismay, he interceded for the afflicted 
sufferers. At Bethlehem was born the Prince Zerubabel, the descend- 
ant of David, who was the type of that Ruler and Shepherd, under 
whose banners Israel was one day to assemble, in order to enjoy un- 
interrupted felicity. Lastly, in this city appeared the Son of God, 
who, by his birth, laid the foundation of that salvation which, as 
Redeemer, he purchased for the whole world. Thus in a place of 
contemptible size, and mean appearance, we sometimes see men spring 
up, who become the fathers and benefactors of the human race. And 
often a village unknown to fame has given birth to a man who, by 
his wisdom, uprightness, or heroism, has been a blessing to whole 
kingdoms. 

It is our duty, whether our lot be cast in towns, in hamlets, or in 
cities, so to live, that the end for which our Saviour was born may be 
accomplished in us. It is certain that true piety would make much 
more rapid progress upon the earth, if men every where endeavoured to 
give proofs of the innocence of their manners and the fervency of 
their faith, and become examples of patience, diligence, and upright- 
ness. If our cities presented more patterns of virtue, their influence 
might extend to the inhabitants of the country ; so that every village 
and hamlet might contain families who, like Joseph and Mary, dis- 
tinguished themselves by their devotion, and obtained respect and 
esteem for their piety, though dwelling in poverty and obscurity. 
God would scatter his blessings over the country of these good people, 
and after some generations we might reasonably expect that a people 
would be formed full of the fear of the Lord, and walking carefully in 
his ways. He who has traversed the extent of the globe, has visited 
cities, and the splendid domains of royalty, and has witnessed all the 
diversified species of iniquity, and crimes of every hue that are there 
practised, has abundant cause to be thankful to God when at last he 
finds some town or village where, in a peaceful cottage, and surrounded 
by his family and friends, he may devote himself entirely to the service 
of God and the benefit of his fellow-creatures ; and thus attain that 
sweet content and heavenly peace of mind, which alone can be the 
result of good actions and an innocent heart. He will not then 
regret those places that he has once seen ; more splendid, indeed, but 
where sensual pleasure spreads all its snares; more vast and grand, 
but where vice is triumphant ; more rich, but where the people live 
in the forgetfulness and in the neglect of the duties which they owe 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 481 

to God and to man. To all these he will prefer an obscure retreat, 
where, safe from the pangs of remorse, and the upbraidings of a con- 
science ill at rest, he mav spend his days in peace and in joy. 



DECEMBER XXVII. 

CARE WHICH GOD TAKES OF MEN FROM THE TIME OF THEIR BIRTH. 

The wants of our infancy are numerous. With pain and difficulty 
we come into the world ; and should soon lose the life we had 
but just begun to feel, if the various things necessary for our food 
and clothing were not prepared beforehand, and if there were not 
persons to take care of us in our weak and helpless state, when we 
are destitute of all things ; or, rather, if our heavenly Father him- 
self did not watch over us for our preservation. He took care of us 
whilst we were in our mother's womb, at a time when no human 
wisdom or industry could assist us. It is he who fashioned our bo- 
dies, and arranged and connected together all their various parts. 
He has given to each of the veins its particular direction, and pours 
through them all the vital fluid. He has clothed us with skin and with 
flesh, and has given us bones and nerves ; and by diffusing through 
all these an intelligent and rational spirit, has formed a being worthy 
of bearing his own divine semblance. The same Providence which 
watched over us at the time of our first being has graciously conti- 
nued his paternal cares, and has never forgotten us. And he is not 
merely satisfied with providing for all our necessities, by giving us 
fond and affectionate parents, who, whilst we are unable to do any 
thing for ourselves, tenderly cherish and preserve us as their great- 
est blessing and delight ; but he has done more, he has laid the foun- 
dation of our future happiness. At the time of our birth the causes 
which would influence our future welfare already existed, and began 
to operate according to the views of a wise Providence. How much 
the comforts or the misery of our lives depend upon our parents ; their 
opinions, ranks, fortunes, and connexions ! How much the happiness 
of our lives must be influenced by our early education, the examples 
that are before us, the connexions that we form, the opportunities that 
occur of exercising our powers, and developing our faculties ! And is 
it not God, our Father, whose wisdom and goodness ordered all these 
things for our present and eternal happiness 1 How consoling, then, 
is the thought, that a Being infinitely good, wise, and powerful, has 
watched over us before we were born, guarded our tender infancy, 
and determined and regulated all that we shall require in the course 
of our lives. 



41 3L 



482 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

DECEMBER XXVIII. 

PERIOD OF HUMAN LIFE. 

Every man dies precisely at the time that God, in his eternal wis- 
dom, has appointed : as the time of our birth is fixed, so also is that 
of our death. But the term of life is not subjected to an inevitable 
fatality or necessity ; such things do not exist. Every thing that oc- 
curs may happen sooner or later, or not at all ; and the man who died 
to-day might have died sooner, or lived longer. God has not num- 
bered the days of any particular individual by an absolute and arbi- 
trary decree, or without having a regard to the circumstances in 
•which the individual may be placed. God, being infinitely wise, can 
do nothing without motives that are worthy of his divine nature. 
He must, then, have just reasons for determining that such a man 
should leave the world at one time rather than at another. Yet, though 
the term of life be in itself neither affected by necessity nor fatality, 
it is certain, and can never be really changed. 

Whenever a man dies, some causes must infallibly lead to his death: 
these, however, may at any time be suspended by the Supreme Being. 
One man dies of some mortal disease, another by a sudden and un- 
foreseen accident. One perishes by fire, another by water. All these 
causes God has foreseen : neither has he been an idle or an indiffer- 
ent spectator ; he has examined them all with care, compared them 
with his views, and has seen whether he will approve of them or not. 
If he approves of them, they are determined ; and, in that case, there 
exists a divine decree, by virtue of which a man will die at a certain 
time by some particular accident or contingency. This decree can 
neither be revoked nor prevented ; for the same reasons which might 
influence God to take a man from the earth at this present time were 
known to him from all eternity, and his wisdom would enable him to 
form the same judgment then that he would in the present instance. 
What, then, should induce him to revoke his decrees 1 

It may, however, happen that God, foreseeing the causes of the 
death of a particular individual, did not approve of them. In this 
-case he has at least determined to permit them, or otherwise they 
could not have taken place, nor the individual have died. And if the 
permission of these causes of death has been determined, God then 
wills that we should die in the time when these causes shall exist. 
It is true he might have been disposed to grant us a longer life, and 
not approve of the causes of our death ; but it was inconsistent with 
his wisdom to counteract their operation. He saw the universe col- 
lectively, and found reasons which induced him to permit that a man 
should die at a particular time, though he neither approved of the 
causes, manner, nor circumstances, of that death. His wisdom finds 
means to direct that death to the most useful purposes ; or he fore- 
saw that a longer life, in the particular circumstances in which a 
man was placed, could neither be of advantage to him, nor to the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 483 

world in general : or he saw, that to prevent that death, a new and 
perfectly different combination of things was requisite ; a combination 
that could not accord with the general plan of the universe, and 
which would prevent still greater good from taking place. Thus, al- 
though God may sometimes disapprove the causes of a man's death, 
he has, nevertheless, sufficiently wise and just reasons to permit them 
to take place ; and consequently, to determine that a man shall die 
at a particular time, and by certain means. These considerations are 
well calculated to make us regard death with christian resignation 
and fortitude. What principally renders it so formidable is the un- 
certainty of its approach, and the manner in which it seizes us. If we 
knew beforehand how and when we should die, we might prepare to 
meet the awful hour with resolution. But as that is very seldom the 
case, nothing is more effectual to strengthen our minds and tranquil- 
lize our thoughts upon that event, than the belief in a Providence 
which watches over our lives ; and which, from before the foundation 
of the world has determined, with infinite wisdom and goodness, the 
time, the manner, and all the circumstances of our death. The term 
of our lives is then appointed ; and nobody can die sooner or later than 
God, in his infinite mercy, has determined for the good even of the 
individual himself. Persuaded of this consoling truth, let us calmly 
await the hour of death : and since its arrival is uncertain, let us 
be wise enough to prepare for it at all times, and be found in a state of 
readiness whenever it may happen ; knowing that the period will be 
that which God has judged will be the best for us. It is true, we are 
ignorant what will be the manner of our death, and the particular 
circumstances attending it ; but it is sufficient to know and to believe 
that we can only die in that way, and at that time, which our hea- 
venly Father shall deem to be the best for ourselves, and for all those 
connected with us. Strengthened by this belief, we shall continue 
to pursue our terrestrial pilgrimage without inquietude ; submitting 
patiently to all the dispensations of Providence, fearless of the dangers 
to which the performance of our duty may expose us. 



DECEMBER XXIX. 

THE INSTABILITY OF EARTHLY THINGS. 

Nothing exists in nature whose state and manner of being is not 
liable to change. Every thing is the sport of frailty and inconstancy ; 
nothing is so durable as always to retain its present appearance. The 
most solid and compact bodies have not such a degree of impenetra- 
bility, and so close a union of the parts which compose them, as to be 
exempted from dissolution and destruction. Every particle of matter 
insensibly changes its figure. How many changes have our bodies 
undergone since their first formation in our mother's womb ! «very year 
we lose some of our constituent parts, and again acquire new ones. 



484 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

Every thing upon the earth grows and decays by turns, only in some 
bodies these changes are not so frequent and great as in others. The 
heavenly bodies appear to be the same as they were at their first crea- 
tion ; and perhaps they are the least changeable of all bodies. Yet 
attentive observers have noted the disappearance of certain stars from 
the heavens ; and the changes which take place in the spots that 
appear on the sun prove that he is not always in the same state. 
Besides, his motion subjects him to different variations, and we have 
reason to believe he undergoes at times various internal revolutions. 
All that we can know of them is conjectural, because of the immense 
distance that we are from him ; and, no doubt, if we were able to ob- 
serve them near enough, we should discover as much instability in all 
the heavenly bodies as we do upon our earth. 

The year, which in two days more will terminate, furnishes abun- 
dant proof of the uncertainty and frailty of all earthly things. Con- 
fining ourselves to the small circle in which we move, how frequent 
are the changes that we witness ! Many of those people whom we 
have known for years are no more ; many whom we have seen 
smiled upon by fortune are now grovelling in poverty, or reduced from 
a state of rank and influence to mediocrity and dependence. If we 
examine into ourselves, we shall also find we have undergone various 
changes. Our health and activity may have decayed ; we may have 
been subjected to misfortunes, sickness, and the infidelity of those 
whom we trusted. 

Such reflections are gloomy and sorrowful, and might even reduce 
us to despair, if we were not supported and consoled by religion, 
which leads us to an almighty, unchangeable, and eternal Being ; in 
the full assurance of whose unalterable goodness and love, let us sub- 
mit with resignation to all the vicissitudes of this transitory world. 



DECEMBER XXX. 

RETROSPECT OF OUR LIVES. 

The termination of another year of our lives should induce us to 
make some reflections, which, though of the utmost importance, do 
not in general occupy so much of our attention as they ought. That 
we may feel more sensibly how short is the period of our lives, let us 
examine how we have passed the days that we have already lived, 
however humiliating a task it may be. 

Let us first consider those days, the employment of which it was 
not in our power to regulate. How much of this year has been, 
passed in eating, drinking, and sleeping ; in taking care of our bodies, 
and providing for our necessities ? How much time has been spent 
in useless occupations, without any advantage gained for our immortal 
souls ! How many hours have been passed in uncertainty and inac- 
tion ; in perplexity, and in expectation ! So that when we make the 



STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 485 

days of the year pass in review before us, we shall discover how 
numerous those have been that were unproductive of any intellectual 
good ; and how very few have been employed in acts of real utility, 
either to ourselves or to others ; and of those few, how many hours 
have been sacrificed to vice, and devoted to sin ! How humiliating 
and afflicting is the recollection that so many of the hours allotted to 
us by almighty Goodness have been lost in idleness, or lavished in 
folly : hours that never can be recalled ; in which we have wandered 
far from the best and tenderest of Fathers ! Perhaps they have been 
profaned by impiety, envy, jealousy, and slander ; or sacrificed to the 
world, to vanity, to indolence, and to false pleasures; all tending to 
divest our hearts of the love of God, and charity for one another. 
Instead of employing them in the promotion of righteousness, perhaps 
we have devoted them to oppose the cause of truth, and combat the 
designs of Providence ; giving trouble to society, and molestation to 
the church. And, lastly, how rapidly does the short space that we 
have to remain upon the earth fly away ! Year after year passes by 
almost imperceptibly, before we even notice it; and then it is impos- 
sible to be brought back. 

Father of mercy ! forgive us the faults we have had the mis- 
fortune to commit ; and grant that in the awful hour of death the 
manner in which we have passed our last year may not cause anguish 
to prey upon our hearts. 



DECEMBER XXXI. 

HYMN OF THANKSGIVING FOR THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR. 

Lord, thou art the God of time : thou art also the God of eternity ! 
I will sing a joyous song to thy praise ; I will celebrate thy holy 
name. A year is about to finish its course : to what do I owe the 
continuation of my existence ? It is to thy grace alone, and to thy 
paternal love ! 

Being of beings, receive my adoration ! Thou art immutable : 
thou hast been, thou art, and thou shalt be through all eternity ! Thy 
love endures from generation to generation ; and each morning brings 
a renewal of thy goodness 1 

Thou hast led me by thy paternal care through the year that is 
now ending : when my heart was preyed upon by care and sorrow, 
thou visitedst it by thy consolation and assistance, I will praise thee 
and exalt thee from the depths of my soul, and again commit myself 
to thy wise and unerring guidance. 

Pardon, my God, those innumerable errors which I have com- 
mitted against thee in the days that are passed ; and let me again 
experience, for Jesus Christ's sake, thy paternal support. Teach me 
to do thy will and thy pleasure all the days of my life ! 

The world passes away, and its pleasures disperse : it is not in 
41* 



486 STURM'S REFLECTIONS. 

these, therefore, that I am to seek my happiness. Even here below 
I may aspire to nobler joys. I am allied to angels, and heaven is my 
patrimony : — Grant, God, that I may incessantly aspire after it ! 

Teach me, O God, to redeem my time, and to walk with holy cir- 
cumspection in the way that leads to eternity ! Condescend to alle- 
viate the burden of life, till I attain the happy period when all my 
labours shall cease, my repose no more be interrupted, and when I 
shall enter into the eternal kingdom of joy and peace ! 

AMEN. 



3 

3 



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